Observation Hives Update July 9th progress, New Comb, Queen, Wax Glands, Grooming Behavior, and more

In this video, I walk you through an update of each of the three observation hives in the Way To Bee building.
You'll see some very interesting behaviors that are normally only observed inside the bee hive.
Intensive grooming, worker with wax shingles, queen taking a rest, and lots of progress with the foundationless frames of comb.
I hope you enjoy the view.
For those who have asked about the awesome swarm traps at the beginning and end of this video, here you go www.horizontal... ‪@horizontalbees3480‬ if you value craftsmanship and artistry, they get my vote :) BTW, they did not ask me to mention them :)

[@mattsara2802]

Very nice Fred. I really like those hives. Good idea on the dust collection valves

[@FrederickDunn]

Than you so much, Matt & Sara! Those gates seemed an obvious choice if I ever needed to assist a colony without taking the glass front off. I also have a clear hose that would permit combining two colonies :)

[@stevengluf8595]

When I was very young, I was stung by a bee and after that, I developed a very strong aversion to bees for most of my life. Now that I'm an adult and I've watched these videos, it completely changed my perspective on bees and I'm so amazed by their organization and behaviors, and I'm no longer afraid of them at all. Thanks for helping me conquer my irrational fears and gain a new appreciation for these amazing insects!

[@FrederickDunn]

Knowledge can certainly build confidence and help reduce anxiety. Glad to have helped with that :)

[@danielweston9188]

So much information from just a window into their world.

[@jpthedelawarebeeman6239]

Hi Fred - Ricky and his wife create beautiful works of art that I'm sure any bee would love to call their home :)

[@horizontalbees3480]

Thanks JP!!!

[@deannabell6986]

That was fascinating and informative. Thank you for sharing.

[@FrederickDunn]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@628DirtRooster]

I get some of my best ideas watching yours and others video's with unique setups. Time to build something cool.

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi Randy! It's always a good time to build something "cool" :) The next observation hive I'm working on will also be very interesting I hope. Come on over for a cup of coffee on me :) I'll show you all the details! Annette sends hugs.

[@horizontalbees3480]

The different front entrance was a very cool idea. For the video they look like the landed better on the unplanned board (first entrance). Hmmm 🤔 now you got me thinking I need to do some testing in slow mode to see what works the best. Look forward to working on a new observation hive for you.

[@FrederickDunn]

I am looking forward to that project also! I need some time at the drafting table :)

[@bonnieirwin2688]

Love it! Neat to see the wax scales.

[@FrederickDunn]

Glad you liked it!

[@charlesdeens8927]

This channel has to be the greatest resource for learning about bees on KZbin, if not the entire internet. Such fantastic videography and commentary.

[@FrederickDunn]

Ok, that's overstated, but I'm so glad you like it :) Thank you!

[@emmawood2784]

Iv learnt more about be behaviour from you than all the others put together , thanks

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you Emma :)

[@sml-bees1824]

Fred, that was so cool. Would love to have one of those, but the misses would probably put me outside. Craig From VA

[@DavidWilliams-wr4wb]

It fascinates me to watch the groomers be so vigilant keeping their hive mates clean, I can t wait to start my colonies next spring , I’m probably going to build some inspection hives in a bee house so I can have tea or coffee and watch bees work all day!! Another video well Dunn 😄

[@FrederickDunn]

Be careful, David, sitting and watching bees in observation hives can result in unplanned napping... you've been warned.

[@DavidWilliams-wr4wb]

@@FrederickDunn I had a hard time falling to sleep last night so I turned your bee sounds video on and the ambient sounds of bees knocked me right out 😋🐝

[@williambowers5994]

I would love to have an observation hive , it might be a problem as I have a hard time leaving my chair now as I watch my bees far too much in the bee yard. At least my wife knows she will see me in the winter But inside observation hives now that would be a game changer the only person that might see me is the doordash guy as he delivers my three meals a day. So maybe I will just watch your videos instead. Thank you again for putting this together.

[@billmeeks9860]

It's exciting to see how the bees are doing in the observation hives. Thanks for the video and update.

[@MarionMakarewicz]

Such a calm and relaxing delivery. Thank you so much. You are always enlightening about these wonderful creatures.

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you!

[@bubblegumplastic]

This series is so wonderful. I love watching the updates

[@rickwarner516]

Good work Fred. Always good to watch and see.

[@Darren_Nicola]

Fabulous you can really see the progress , love the fact you can see the bees learning to rid themselves of varroa , hopefully the bees of the future will never let them get a foot in the hive , 👍🏻😀

[@FrederickDunn]

They do a great job, some keepers don't like the super vigilant groomers as they can also be less productive overall. But for backyard beekeeping, they are excellent :)

[@tcsrailwayhoney3236]

Great video Fred!!! Thank you for sharing I want an observation hive so bad but I would like one that has a lot of space so it wouldn’t be a swarm factory….. I have been brainstorming ideas about possibly building a observation hive with two or three flow frames on top level to help the hive from being honey bound… Maybe it’s a dream…… maybe it’s a winter project……. Maybe my wife won’t let me start such a project until the seemingly endless “honey do list” is complete! 😆

[@FrederickDunn]

Just remember that flow-frames have to be tilted to harvest. Sounds like a complex setup to me :)

[@lambbrookfarm4528]

Oh, I so want to have an observation hive. I have Layens frames, do you think a single deep 3 frame would work? ...love the roosta", is that Randy? Great looking hives from Horizontal hives.

[@weregonnabzzz4648]

Absolutely mesmerizing. Thank you for posting.

[@FrederickDunn]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@cypher8855]

Looks like that queen is laying just sitting there in one spot

[@FrederickDunn]

Correct, she's resting and there are no more cells for her to fill at the moment.

[@gerardjohnson2106]

AWESOME video. Is it known or speculation that there is a difference in worker eggs, drone eggs and queen eggs. Or is it that the cell buildout tells the nurse bees how to feed and make the larvae grow in different ways. It's very hard to believe the queen could determine this egg will be a boy, this egg will be a girl and this egg will ascend to the throne and become my successor.???

[@FrederickDunn]

The Queen definitely makes the decision between workers and drones. She produces an egg that is unfertilized when she puts it in a drone cell, and when there is a worker cell, she releases sperm to fertilize that egg on its way through her reproductive system. So it's all about the queen releasing a sperm from her spermatheca or not.

[@noahriding5780]

I had something new to ask you Fred! Thank you so much also for your good work and the amazing bee knowledge you do. You do a great public service. Normally when I get stung it gets itchy around the spot that I get stung. But it usually only stays itchy in that spot. Example; getting stung in the arm, and the arm stays itchy. or the leg if I get stung in the leg. I usually don't get stung very often, as my bees are usually pretty gentle. However,... this one time today I got stung in the arm, and my face and body felt itchy all over, not just my arm. But I was only stung once and in the arm. To my knowledge this felt odd to me. I don't remember it being like that before, where the itchiness felt like it was all over. (But maybe its the heat also amplifying it. its very hot today). Anyway, I was curious to ask you if the itchiness and the sting spreading to other parts of the body can be or is an indicator of bad reactions to bee venom, and/or bee allergcy versus the itchiness, venom etc just staying in the area where the sting happened? Anyway I'm not too worried, but just very curious about this.

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi Noah, Our reactions to honey bee venom can change over time. Being that I'm not a physician, the best I can do is recommend that you check in with your general medical practitioner. My grandfather developed a sensitivity to bee stings over the years and ultimately became dangerously allergic. My Grandmother had to get rid of her bees as a result. I mention that as it can become an issue. Frequent stings from bees doesn't always produce a better tolerance.

[@peterlightbody8443]

Interesting video, all that info Frederick , start putting pen to paper, write a book , pass that knowledge on . Peter 🇦🇺

[@Grimthings]

Amazing.

[@angelacross2216]

That footage of grooming activity was epic. Is this a new behavior in bees ?

[@FrederickDunn]

It's not new behavior, these are traits that BeeWeaver have been selecting for over decades of selective breeding. They don't tollerate any anomolies in bees nor the presence of varroa mites. But they can overdo it sometimes and remove many developing pupae as they police the brood.

[@sonofthunder.]

so cool to see the wax flakes,im still wondering about pollen baskets,and what are they exactly,are they hairs,or actual pockets, im 3 years in and its still a mystery to me,thanks fred

[@FrederickDunn]

Just in indentation in the hind legs with stiff hairs, look up corbicula :)

[@sonofthunder.]

@@FrederickDunn thank you mr dunn

[@lorrainelietz4384]

Awesome!!

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks!

[@bobwebber8521]

Did you build these hives yourself or purchase them? Would like to see more about them. Inside the house is about the only place I could keep bees now. Thanks for the great video which must have taken a long while to record and edit.

[@FrederickDunn]

They were all purchased, I posted my review of them on Amazon. www.amazon.com/Observation-Little-Larue-Apiary-llc/product-reviews/B09KQXGM9R/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_show_all_btm?ie=UTF8&reviewerType=all_reviews

[@trishwestberg6982]

Will you try to catch the swarm from the observation hive that is running out of space?

[@FrederickDunn]

If/when they swarm, I'll likely recover them from a nearby tree. Particularly since we'll be able to see them making preparations and will know the approxomate day. Orrrr, I can split the hive and make a nucleus before they swarm.

[@bradgoliphant]

Amazing! Hey Frederick, at time 21:45, is that flow hive set up configured how your run your hives? Deep Brood, Excluder, Medium Super then Deep Super? I'm still learning what works in my geographic so it it's all helpful. Thanks

[@FrederickDunn]

Yes, and that video is coming up as soon as I can get a break around here:) Deep brood box, followed by a medium super of honey, then the Flow-Super and feeder shim on that. When the final nectar flow is finished, remove the Flow-Super and you're set for winter.

[@bradgoliphant]

@@FrederickDunn I'm going to follow your lead. I forgot what you said before--do you put an excluder over the deep brood box? Or are you the one that does not use excluders?

[@macktyner]

Fred, i am building an observation hive and it will have a 5 foot long entrance tube. Have you ever used 2 tubes, one for bees going out, the other for coming in ?

[@FrederickDunn]

I always use a single tube that they use for entrance and exiting. Also, a five foot length isn't a problem at all.

[@macktyner]

@FrederickDunn thanks. I love your videos. I just noticed in Frank Linton's book page 19, Stuart's observation hive has 4 tubes and wondered why.

[@letseatsteak]

I have an unimportant question.. my OCD was triggered by your numbering of your observation hives. Is there a reason they aren't consecutive?

[@FrederickDunn]

Those were the valve tags I had laying around. :) that's it.

[@Hill_Walker]

Have you noticed the grooming bees focusing on nurse bees or focusing on capped/uncapped brood frames at all?

[@FrederickDunn]

They cover the full range, even often intercepting foragers returning and stopping them like TSA. They also uncap and pull pupa when they smell something "off" and will pull them out as they feverishly hunt varroa in the cell. This is what some keepers consider to be a drawback as they can be overly cautious and reduce brood production. But you don't have to treat for varroa, so it's a bonus for people like me who don't depend on honey production for income. :)

[@mountainhobbit1971]

Fred what are you noticing outside around you in regard to the 2" rain deficit...anything?

[@FrederickDunn]

Just less mowing :) the nectar seems strong as the bees spend lots of time on blossoms. When they are dry, the bees move quickly from one to another. Milkweeds run deep, so some rain loss doesn't impact them much. When the sunflowers come in with blossoms, that will be the real pollen boost.

[@Peter-od7op]

Love these vdo

[@sonofthunder.]

checked out your t spring mugs ,...havnt seen a golden comb ,w close up hex cells mug yet ,ill keep checking back

[@FrederickDunn]

I'm waiting for the perfect image, Mark... :)

[@robertmathurin739]

Lovely observation hives Mr Dunn 🇱🇨👍🏼♥️

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks!

[@dixsigns1717]

That was very enjoyable!

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you!

[@emilandrusko8597]

thanks so much for the update. This is beyond cool!

[@FrederickDunn]

Glad you like it!

[@oneshoo]

Outstanding! Liked how they were feeding the Queen. She was sticking her leg out waiting for worker to deposit nectar and then eating. Very cool! 👍👍

[@ghostofvalor4349]

why do the bees lick the glass?

[@FrederickDunn]

Honey bees will lick ALL interior surfaces, including the glass. It's how they protect their environment.

[@framcesmoore]

This was outstanding thank you for doing it. I have a question for u if u do not mind I have 40 hives all have frame feeders with floats, out of them 40 I have I think it is 4 hives that the bees are just drowning 1/2 the bees drowned in 1 of them, Kamon in tenn says doing his chats that if u have bees that are drowning by the massive they are sick but he gives no ideas what to do what he does or any thing like that I have asked him several times and I guess he is to busy to answer the question. so I am asking you What would u do if they were your bees They have been treated for mites asap when the suppers were removed, they were massive hives but not any more. Thanks for any thoughts u might have.

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi Frances, I would defer to Kamon to explain his methods. I personally am not a fan at all of frame feeders, so I don't use them. Regarding drowned bees being sick? I leave that topic to Kamon. I would think that if the bees were really intense about getting to the syrup when there is a dearth, they push each other into the syrup and it's a dog-pile of bees with those at the bottom drowning. It's critical to have the feeder set up in such a way that the bees can't be pressed into the syrup by other bees. So, if i used them, no open surface for bees to drown in. I wish you all the best, but suggest using all frame spaces for comb, and use your inner cover with a feeder shim for any required feeding activity. The new BeeSmart tank feeder (one gallon capacity) is drown proof. But you need a medium box on top of your inner cover to accomodate that unit. There are many ways to tend the bees, a hive top feeder can be tended with no bee suit, no smoker, no removal of the inner cover :)

[@framcesmoore]

@@FrederickDunn Thanks keep the videos coming they are great.

[@cobberpete1]

Enjoying the Ob hives. Fascinating to watch the Drone dispatch and removal... Lesson to day, bees groom each other

[@robertmalis4493]

That was so cool Fred see where the wax come from as usual just another gray educational video

[@ronaldkoenig7057]

What do you feed your bees during a dearth and how would you feed if any ?

[@FrederickDunn]

nope.

[@FrederickDunn]

I'll explain my practices on Friday during the next Q&A

[@CentralKyBees]

Fred, it would be cool to see a time-lapse of them capping that nectar off! Also wondering how you could treat observation hives, OA? That Would be neat to see as well. Love your vids, they have helped me tremendously 👏

[@arogue469]

He has a vid showing OA in the hive. See FAQ 34.

[@CentralKyBees]

@@arogue469 in the observation hive?

[@arogue469]

@@CentralKyBees yes. See the aforementioned video.

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks Adam! Yes, it's how we observed that bees really aren't that bothered by OAV treatments after that initial blast. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gnPXqpiOm5uZoMU