The NYS Fair has a permanent "bee gazebo" for whole-hive demos.  It is NOT open at the top as it is housed within a very large horticulture building.  It is bee-tight, except when a beekeeper ducks in or out to work the bees and show folks what that entails.  In addition, there is an observation hive where kids can get their noses right up to the bees.  This arrangement has been in place for decades and the bee gazebo is a work of art.  The beekeepers who take care of the NYS Fair bees do a fabulous job, I admire them.  They have to get the bees in and out after hours (they swap hives every couple of days so as not to over-stress them) and since the fair grounds are enormous with no convenient parking near the bee gazebo, lugging beehives in and out of there is not work for the wimpy.

However, it is a wonderful way for the general public to get closer to bees and we volunteers have fun teaching them.  "Where's the Queen?"  is like "Where's Waldo"?  The popular fascination with what bees do is very satisfying.

Today at the Fair, someone said to me that the little jar on the outside of the observation hive was so convenient!  They thought that bees put the honey into the jar, then all we have to do is take it off!

Christina

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html