Welcome to the marvelous world of Honey Bee

OBSERVATION BEE HIVES

Having a Bee Observation Hive is almost like having a secret civilization right in front of your eyes, a  miniature civilization of thousands of individuals working busily together, working to build comb, to store honey, to nurture a Queen, working to create thousands of new bees. They are creating a Colony, a Colony whose mission is to survive and propagate. They will propagate by swarming.  As you watch the different activities of all the different individuals in the Colony, you’ll find yourself becoming intimately involved in that civilization, your Colony of Apis mellifera, your Honey Bees. It’s the wonderful world of Nature, alive, in real-time, right in front of your eyes and mind.

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Having your own Observation Hive is rewarding, it’s also a responsibility. Keep in mind that you are providing a home for a live animal. A Bee Colony is an organization of thousands of tiny, very intelligent, six legged animals and their wellbeing can depend on you.

At Bonterra Bees we hope you’ll purchase a hive and we hope you’ll give your Colony of Honeybees responsible care.

Choosing the Hive that's right for you and the Bees is a comprehensive decision, here are a few thoughts to start.

First: If you don’t have any beekeeping experience, in the beginning, we suggest it’s a good idea to have a beekeeper friend. Check the internet and find your local Beekeeping Club, attend a meeting and ask questions or find out who owns that white box of bees you’ve seen down the road. Check the phone directory. We recommend beescource.com  It’s a great Bee blog with plenty of information. Don’t be shy, ask questions. Beekeepers are good folks and are happy to advise new beekeepers. And at Bonterra Bees we are always ready to help. 

Next: Keep in mind that Your Bees must have access to the outdoors, access thru an outside wall or window. Your hive will need to be connected to a thru-wall, PVC pipe and that pipe is then connected to an outside entrance unit (both come included with the Hive). In northern areas avoid walls that face North, walls that will be in total, year-round shade.

Each Hive is made to order. All hives are made individually and the same woodworking craftsman focuses on your Hive from start to shipping. They are made like a quality piece of furniture.

I highly recommend that you make Observation Hive decisions first in favor of the Bees. It ends up being a situation of mutual respect. Be good to them and they’ll perform for you. I might add I’ve never met an offensive bee.

 Note: If you’re making price comparisons, remember our pricing includes shipping and handling.

          I've kept bees since I was a kid and it has been without a doubt, extremely rewarding. I am inclined to say, "Bees are more important to this world than I am. I have learned a great deal from bees; I doubt they've learned any thing from me. I have always been fascinated and entertained by the miraculous things they do and accomplish, and I find it impossible not to be "anthro-bee-morphic" - naming a queen and seeing her personality, or watching the emergence of a new little girl worker as she crawls out of her cell, rubs her eyes and begins her life of many responsibilities to the colony. She'll nurse more young, attend the queen, build cells, make honey and royal jelly, fan the hive. Eventually she'll leave the hive to forage the countryside and tirelessly bring back nectar and pollen. And those lazy Drones, what a lazy life they have...until it's Winter and the Colony doesn't need an extra mouth to feed.

     - Mark

Bonterra Bees is the leader in innovative design and exquisite craftsmanship of indoor and outdoor honey bee observation hives. We invite you to compare price, design and quality to all others.

    Look over our Hive Case Features - many are copyrighted and exclusive to Bonterra BeesTM.  Then visit our Hive Case Options page to create your own Observation Bee Hive.

For do-it-yourself enthusiasts, we also offer a complete set of plans that includes all current models.  Our 32-page booklet is available in both print and PDF formats.

Thanks again for visiting our site.

We Love Bees