email via ASCII  <obhive>
 
16aug95 0800
 
About Observation Hives (ObH) CORRECTED COPY
 
1. My black-walnut ObH is two deep frames high, one frame wide
and has a permanent spot in my living room attached to a 1-1/2-
inch galvanized exit pipe going thru my interior plaster wall
and exterior yellow brick wall. It's 4 feet above floor level and
normally can be rotated 360o.
 
2. It was built at least 15 years ago, has Lexan (plastic)
sides, two-inch air vents, one on each side and one at the
top, plus a single feeder hole at the top. A movable top
permits sliding out the plastics, upwards, for frame insertion.
The top corners have box joints, held together w/ a dowel
pin (not hinges or screws), which, when pushed out, makes
top member EASILY removable.
 
3. A sliding metal at the base, when in locked closed
position, permits easy removal from its base and makes it
portable for display purposes elsewhere, such as at fairs and
flea markets, but always properly shaded. It has add-on feet
for stability.
 
3. When used (was discontinued w/ advent of tracheal mite
about seven years ago when I lost 20 of 24 colonies), it
always had white styrofoam sides in place and always carried
a one pint feeder, of pure honey (not a sugar syrup), at the
top.  (The foam sides, kept on 24 hours, were only removed
when viewing was desirable.)
 
4. It almost always made it thru every Maryland winter (10
miles W of Balto and 60 minutes N of La Casa Blanca.)
 
5. In my experience, such a hive MUST be at least 2 deeps
high--2 deeps wide sounds like a good idea but the whole
purpose of the device would be instantly defeated.
 
6. One year I spotted a wax worm, took the ObH outside into
the sun and used a magnifying glass, properly focused, to
dispatch the intruder to where all ?bad? insects go.
 
Jack the B-man
B-keeper for 35 consecutive years
at the same location with never
more than 30 hives but today just
24, twenty too many for a man who
calls himself a "hobbyist."
 
 
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John Iannuzzi PhD             *
Howard Honey Farms RR8        *
9772 Old Annapolis Rd         *
Ellicott City (founded 1772)  *
Maryland usa 21042            *
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