# Single Frame OH - thoughts?



## ruthiesbees (Aug 27, 2013)

I use the single frame Ob Hives for farmer's markets and the fall county fair. For an 8 hr venture, they should have no problem accepting the queen back, although I do tend to pick on smaller nuc/hives rather than my large production hives for the short trip. When I do the 3 day event, I do replace the queen with a Temp Queen Lure so that they don't build queen cells. She has been accepted back in the small hive each time I have done this.

As for the workers finding their queen in the Ob hive, I've had plenty of not-my-bees being drawn to the smell of the honey in the Ob Hive and trying to get in, but it is not because they were after the queen.

I used to have a small water source in the hive (tiny bowl of water with sponge) in the Ob hive but it led to too many questions and a couple of drowned bees, so I've stopped using it. Another beekeeper in my area had put a hole with screen on the top of his OB hive so that he could drizzle in water periodically through out the day (or in theory place a small bottle with sugar water on it). My next Ob Hive will incorporate that into the design.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

Ambrose said:


> I'm assuming I don't need to feed anything, but should I maybe provide a water source?


#1
I would not worry about it.
If anything spilled honey or coke for that matter is a bigger issue (bigger attractant of bees and wasps).

#2
Just for few hours you can
1)spray some water directly into the frame itself prior to putting into the hive (either straight water or very diluted sugar water).
2)insert some paper towel well moistened and crumpled up for water (may or may not spoil the looks). Don't put in dishes and stuff. 

Hopefully that box has ventilation holes; I don't make out any.
Through the ventilation (screened!) holes you also can spray some water inside. This is just another way to give water.


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## Ambrose (May 9, 2019)

Thanks for your thoughts. This was an old post and I really had to scratch my head to remember the context. I didn't even realize I was the OP until I read through the entire thing and looked at the picture and thought, hey that looks a lot like my observation hive. Ha. 

Never did have any problems with bees being attracted to the outside. 

I ended up just putting a soaked sponge on the floor for water, and that seems to provide all the needs they have. There are indeed vent holes in the lid, and actually the lower window in the picture there also has screen over that. I can't remember why I made that section so deep. I'm sure there was a reason, but right now I can't remember why.


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