Observation Hives: a new standard
Unlike existing observation hives that are limited by their fixed size, BEEcosystem’s modularity offers the ability to expand the interior hive space by attaching additional wall-mounted HexHive bodies.
If you’re a beekeeper, you know that Langstroth and Warre hives have always expanded vertically by adding new boxes and supers—now, BEEcosystem is the first observation hive to use the same tried and true logic, but over a vertical plane, expanding across your wall in a hexagonal honeycomb-styled design.
Unique Connection Points
BEEcosystem’s modular expansion works by using our unique vent-to-passageway connection points. Because both the hive’s side vents and additional HexHive bodies attach at the same point, by simply sliding out any one of the four side-ventilation screens, another HexHive body can be attached to create a more spacious hive interior—giving your observation colony room it needs to grow and thrive.
You can use a 4″ transparant tube to connect your HexHive(s) and a simple window connection unit for the option of noninvasive indoor observation hive setups, so your bees will be able to come and go freely from their outdoor foraging flights in search of floral pollen and nectar. No matter how many HexHives you choose to start with, you’ll enjoy the same unparalleled viewing access into the intricate lives of your social bees.
BEEcosystem was designed to mount and expand along your indoor or outdoor wall. Each BEEcosystem hive measures nearly ~22″ in length by ~19″ in height by ~5″ in depth (measured outward from the wall) – more exact dimensions in diagram to the right. The weight of each hive is 12 pounds without comb and bees. Adding the bees and honeycomb increases hive weight to roughly 25-35 pounds in total. We include a sturdy bracket for mounting each HexHive into a secure wall stud or vertical/structural member – BEEcosystem hive and frame dimensions are designed specifically so that each sequential HexHive can wall-mount at the US standard 16″-on-center stud spacing.
Hive Features & Accessories
Besides modularity, there are some additional key features that differentiate BEEcosystem from other observation hives. If you plan to setup your BEEcosystem hive indoors, we understand if you may have concerns about failsafes—that’s why we include spring-loaded safety closure hinges. No other existing observation hive to our knowledge employs this type of simple auto-closure mechanism. With our integrated safety closure hinges, should the transfer tube ever become disconnected at either end—at the HexHive body or at the window unit—the spring-loaded hinges automatically seal off the honeybees to remain safely inside the hive body and/or outside the window unit until the tube disconnection can be corrected.
Other indoor observation hives on the market require the beekeeper to drill a hole from the inside to the outside their exterior wall, just to accommodate the simple transfer tube that bees move through to come and go from indoors to outdoors. When almost every exterior wall now seems to have sliding windows, we thought this was a silly standard requirement for an indoor observation hive setup.
Try out the indoor hive without making any permanent modifications – if you later decide to move it outdoors, or to make a wall modification to install it indoors more permanently, you are able to do so normally. To try it out without making any permanent modifications yet, you could simply cut a durable insulating foam block to fit in between the window opening. Drill or cut out a 40 millimeter hole to connect the transfer tube to and you are good to go. Another option would be to replace a piece of glass with plexiglass. This option is used a lot nowadays and works perfectly.