> ... or maybe any idea on how the ones made by
> Draper Bee are working out?

After years of coveting the Draper Observation Hive, I purchased one this
spring.  Draper even delivered it right to the University (which is less
than a mile from the highway exchange they were passing through enroute to a
show in Massachusetts).

I was extremely pleased with the Ob-hive.  I purchased the oak model with no
ornate window frames, just the solid glass window.  I consider the ob-hive
more like a fine piece of
furniture!

As with all ob-hives, the largest drawback is that there simply is not
sufficient room for a growing colony.  I had to move it to lose the field
bees.  I placed a nuc at the original site
to receive the field bees from the ob-hive.

The only other problem (and this was a problem with the beekeeper, not the
ob-hive) came when
working the hive.  I opened the hinged door and worked the bees with no
problem.  However,
when I closed the door, many bees had moved into the door jam and got
squished when I closed
the door.  It was very stressful both on bees and beekeeper.  I opened the
door up and cleaned
up the carnage, and once aware of the problem I am always careful to clear
bees from the door
jam before I close the door.

I have not tried overwintering bees in this ob-hive.  That's a tough task in
my upstate New
York climate.  The bees have a better chance overwintering as a nuc atop an
established hive.

I highly recommend the Draper Ob-Hive, which they bill as "The Ultimate in
Observation Hives".
It truly is once you get past the sticker shock.

Aaron Morris - I think, therefore I bee!