# Standard Sized Hive Made with Plexiglass



## Bees of SC

Read up on what BEES like.........


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## jrbbees

they want dark.


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## WBVC

I have one hive that has 2 sides in plexi glass. That is covered with ply except when I peek in. A few of my boxes have plexi view ports but they are also covered unless I am looking in.
It is great being able to watch them work.


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## centrarchid

WBVC said:


> I have one hive that has 2 sides in plexi glass. That is covered with ply except when I peek in. A few of my boxes have plexi view ports but they are also covered unless I am looking in.
> It is great being able to watch them work.



Thank you. Hive will be kept enclosed most of time with possible exception of bottom.


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## Tenbears

The glass is open all the time, it is dark at night. Been there for 9 years..


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## WBVC

Somewhere on this forum there is a thread of a person who made a hive entirely out of plexi glass and kept as a giant indoor observation hive. She posted about it for a short while but no updates the following season as far as I have seen.


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## Scpossum

Tenbears said:


> View attachment 19535
> The glass is open all the time, it is dark at night. Been there for 9 years..


Those are some of the biggest bucks I have ever seen on a wall! Sorry for being off topic.

I modeled mine after one that is the same way. A little Filtered light in the day and dark at night.


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## Kathleen Bourn

I was just thinking of trying a full Lang OH. I have a bunch of free plexiglass that's just crying to become something. 
I was thinking of making each side framed with wood (1"-2") and in the dimensions of either a Warre or an 8 frame medium (or a top bar).
I have a large shed/building with a polycarbonite wall and a southern exposure. 
My plan is to build it to live in the building (and stay covered most of the time) with an entrance through the wall. 
I'm hoping to be able to work it like an AZ (beehouse) hive and let the bees exit the building through a window. My challenge is to darken the room enough for them to go to the light.
I already have Warres and Top Bars with viewing windows and I love them.
As a second year beekeeper, it's great to be able to really watch them without disturbing them.

Any warnings or suggestions are appreciated!!!


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## dsegrest

centrarchid said:


> Has anyone attempted such? Interest in in observing ventilation behavior. Hive would be kept in shaded location or have additional modifications for controlling light exposure.


People do this with 1 side plexiglass. They make a panel on hinges to close it up when they are not looking at it. Brood is very sensitive to light.


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## Harley Craig

WBVC said:


> Somewhere on this forum there is a thread of a person who made a hive entirely out of plexi glass and kept as a giant indoor observation hive. She posted about it for a short while but no updates the following season as far as I have seen.



this is what you are talking about, I remember the hive from here but can't find it, only her blog http://www.beesinabox.com/observation-hive-.html


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## beeware10

If you make a full size observation hive the queen will lay in the middle and you will only see honey in the outside frames. this is why observation hive are made narrow. seems lie a waste of time to me. best to make a normal observation hive if ya want to see anything.


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## Phoebee

I've seen all clear plastic museum hives. They're quite the crowd pleasers. The bees would prefer dark but your average worker adapts to it and goes about their business. Overall, being on display without darkness is stressful to the colony (queens tend to get nervous in light), and I would expect most displays periodically rotate out their display colonies, and keep them covered when the public is not around.

If you try to build one, consider polycarbonate (Lexan is polycarbonate) as an option to acrylic (Plexiglas is a brand name acrylic). Plexiglas is tricky to cut, and even trickier to drill (it tends to shatter). If you know the tricks, it can be worked, but polycarbonate is more forgiving. Polycarbonate is also easier to solvent bond.


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## KiwiLad

The single frame (seasonal) observation hive in the biology lab in my secondary/high school (100 yrs ago) had removable dark red outer covers, based on the the theory bees made no distinction between red and black.


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## jakec

Tenbears said:


> View attachment 19535
> The glass is open all the time, it is dark at night. Been there for 9 years..


did you kill those deer?? holy smokes theyre big!! nice room man!!


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