From: "Larry Krengel" > I am looking for suggestions.

What I found most useful with a school bee club was to stock a number of 
Apidea mating boxes with old fertile queens (when replaced in production 
colonies) and set these out around the garden.  An Apidea holds only about 
300 bees or less but can show all stages of  brood , different colours of 
pollen, - and even raise a new queen if the old one is removed.
It works with children becuse you can pick up a box and move it 12 feet 
before opening.  All the older bees fly back 12 feet - and the young bees 
left can be handled by children without protection.  Once a child has had a 
bee run over its hand, you are through a barrier - in fact they get 
foolhardy.
You can devise all sorts of educational projects with these little colonies. 
When they get overfull , you just cut out comb.
Given a budget you could design an open-sided  'bee house' where the Apideas 
could be displayed attractively - surrounded by photos/info boards - and 
inspected even in bad weather.

Robin

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