In Massachussetts (note all the extra ss's as in Misssisssipppi), by
April you should have very active bees. You can be sure that they will
become active with the first warm days of Spring. On cold, gloomy days
the bees will not be very active, but will still be moving around in an
observation hive. By then brood-rearing is in full swing, so lots of
activity at the Queen (the retinue) whatever the weather, but no dancing
on cold or wet days. So .... chemical communication at all times,
dance communication on nice days. You should have an excellent demo.
for the public. Many museums have observation hives that work well.
In Toronto, the Ontario Science Centre has one. In Sudbury, Science
North has one. Their experiences, I am told, are good. I had one at
U of Colo in Colorado Springs and it attracted many people for long
periods as the watched the activity through an Optivisor (a magnifier that
sits on your head like a peaked cap) beside the hive.
Anyway, good luck, Peter Kevan.