>I'm open to continued discussion,

In the busy world of sideline/ commercial  beekeeping ( when several stores
demand an OB hive) one simply grabs the OB hives and replaces the frames
from a "dink"
hive. A perfect place for a non prolific queen and her gals!

Takes a few minutes and the hive is back in operation.

most people do not know what they are looking at in an OB hive anyway.

To learn they need a knowledgeable beekeeper to explain exactly what they
are looking at.

If they see a sign which says "the queen has a dot" then once they see a bee
with a dot then they are off to look at other things.

I had a OB queen die once at an outdoor event. I carried the hive out back
and marked a drone with whiteout. brought the hive back in but left off the
sign "queen has a white dot". Hundreds of people observed the bee with the
white dot but not one said. "Hey wait a minute that's a drone with the white
dot"

I was surprised that the drone was not spotted. My helper turned away to
laugh a couple times as a couple hobby beekeepers told us what a beautiful
queen bee was in the hive.

My wife was upset when she arrived later and made me remove the drone and
promise never do such a thing again.

My help laughed again as he saw I had my fingers crossed behind my back!

However I have had as many as six OB hives running at a time for research
and all always do OK but when you are looking at each *everyday* it is easy
to see what is making the hive dwindle and easily corrected.

I think Randy for the PPB comment. Problems in OB hives do not usually
happen overnight but slowly.
Easily spotted when the OB hive is observed everyday. Same with the home
fish tank.

My grandson once asked me to look at his Goldfish tank as he said the tank
smelled funny. I quickly observed his two goldfish named "Starsky & Hutch"
were floating and had been I think for a few days.

One of my beekeeping mentors was George Vanarsdall ( Osage Honey Farm
Sibley, Missouri est. 1955
thousands of hives)
Although George was an excellent commercial beekeeper in my opinion George
was a better businessman. His words of wisdom still ring true today.
Example:
I asked George once why he never bought bee supplies from the local
suppliers. He replied gruffly that everything they sold he could buy direct
from the same place.

I asked once why he had an OB hive (which he made himself) in his fancy
sales area which was a glass OB hive which held 10 deep frames (all
removable) instead of the type we are discussing now. All you could see is
bees in a glass box.
He replied:
I never have to rebuild this hive and swarming is the only issue. The help
does not have to spend hours standing beside the hive.

George added "that's why the hives in stores along the interstate are simple
for the most part and a glass box displaying bees and not like our OB hives
showing the workings of the hive.

bob

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