VIEWING TIPS:

• If you cannot see the video stream in the Firefox Browser, you will need to install or update the Windows Media Player for Firefox Plugin.
• If you are unable to do the above update, then, try the Internet Explorer Browser.
  
• The streaming is causing slight blurring. Step back from the screen for a clearer view.
• Occasionally the camera is focused on the inside of the cells, in which case the bees will be blurry and more out of focus.
• View in full-screen mode by double-clicking inside the video. The blur will be more pronounced, so stand back. To exit full-screen mode, hit your Esc key.

The observation hive is a five-frame Nuc (a reduced scale hive) with the addition of an upper glass-covered section. An interesting frame, usually the one the queen is presently on, can be brought to the upper section to be observed. A "queen excluder" allows the bees to move freely from the bottom to the upper section, with the exception of the queen who is too large to fit through the wires, keeping her majesty in the viewing area. A clear plastic tube extends from the hive out though a vent below the room's window, which allows the bees access to the outdoors.

You can watch as the worker bees bring in & store nectar and pollen, make honey, tend to the hive, & the young brood. Look for the queen bee laying eggs as her attendants groom and feed her. You may even see the birth of a bee as it emerges from its cell. The camera is infra-red, allowing us to see even in total darkness.

During those times when we have the observation hive traveling with us to the Farmers' Market or a show, the cam will be showing an alternate view....... perhaps the landing board of a hive outdoors, or a shot of the entire bee yard.

(NOTE: This is a new project, but the archives will grow in time)