Robert,
 
   I am guilty of just hitting "Reply" and not noticing that it went to
Apis-L and not Bee-L.  I'm subscribed to both.
 
   With a two (or even three) frame observation hive, the space is
unnaturally small for a normal colony, so be prepared to swap out full
frames of brood and put in empty foundation in the summer.  They will
draw it out pronto!  If you don't, they will abscond and leave it empty.
(Plan your vacations...)
 
   Other than that, I wish I had one in my dining room.  Then I could see
it every day and know what the field hives are into.  (The obs hive I
work is at a forest preserve about 1/2 mile from here, and I don't stop
by every day.)
 
   As long as you are watching it that often, the small size can be
monitored and corrections made as required.  It will happen more often
than a regular hive which has "buffer space" in extra combs.  If she gets
busy, she can fill a frame in just a few days.  Have a field hive that
you can move brood into.  (A friend's field hives kept swarming because
he swapped in so much extra brood from an obs hive, and he couldn't
figure out why!)
 
Good Luck!
 
Gerry and the other Visels at
[log in to unmask]
Winnebago, Illinois, USA
 
On Sun, 9 Feb 1997 22:01:51 -0500 Robert Watson
<[log in to unmask]> writes:
>Hello List
>Gerry V., and others have been discussing observation hives on the
>Apis-L, but a post indicated that it was off-topic...and should be
>discussed on Bee-L.
>No one has brought the topic here , so I shall do so.
>I have ordered an observation hive, from our local Dadant supplier.
>I asked him to get me a normal deep super + honey super above type of
>observation hive.
>I asked for the small type because I didn't want something very tall
>in my
>dining room (where I intend to place it.)
>Now I wonder if I should have gone for something with 2 or three deep
>frames instead...it is apparently difficult to manage this small an
>observation hive.
>What is required to do this effectively?...any help?
>thanks!
>
>Regards,
>Rob
>
>
>Robert C.L. Watson
>[log in to unmask]
>pipe organ technician    organist - choirmaster    early woodwind
>player
>hobby beekeeper    homebrewer   tenor
>