Four-Frame Observation Hive Plans

by Anja Lowe

There are many great do-it-yourself observation hive plans on the internet. Before you decide on a

design, do some research to find the hive that will work best for you. Consider things like location,

temperature, safety, display, overwintering, and how many frames you want to be able to view.

That said, this observation hive is the one that I thought would suit

my needs the most. I can carry it easily to class presentations, the

bees can cluster over the four frames to stay warm in my cold

basement, I can place it outside in warm months and keep it

ventilated, and it was relatively simple and inexpensive to build.

A nod goes to Dennis Murrell, a natural beekeeper in Wyoming from whom I took plans and modified

them to suit my tastes. For a much simpler version of my hive, go to

beenatural.wordpress.com/plans/observation-hive/ . He also has plans for Warre and Top Bar hives.

These instructions are written for a very beginner level of woodworking. I purchased everything

(except the fames and feeder) at Home Depot for about $35. The acrylic is the most expensive and

delicate item. You are welcome to modify my plans in any way you see fit, but do not change the

width of the hive between the glass sides—it has been carefully measured to provide the correct “bee

space” for a four-frame hive.

Materials needed:

One 1x8”x8’ board (pine is fine)

One 24x24” plywood ¼” thick

A ⅜” square dowel, about 18” total

One acrylic sheet 20x32” (0.093” thick)

Twelve 1 ⅛” metal brackets

One 2½ x1¼” metal safety hasp

One 1x2” metal hinge

2” wood screws

Titebond II wood glue

A small amount of #8 hardware cloth (⅛” wire mesh)

A packet of circular adhesive felt pads (I use ⅜” and 1” sizes)

¾ x 2” PVC male-male threaded connector

One PVC end cap that fits connector

Four deep frames

One quart- or pint-jar feeder with a perforated cap

Table saw, drill, flathead screwdriver, Phillips-head screwdriver, ¾” or 1” circle bit driver

Cutting guide:

Take the 1x8 board and cut a 62” length.

Of the 62”, cut off two 1¾“ blocks. These are the bottom cleats.

With the 58” board, you will now cut the grooves for the glass panels. Set your table saw guide to

½”. Crank the saw blade down so only ¼” is sticking up from the table. Cut a ¼” deep furrow along

each side of the board, ½” in from the side.

The diagram to the right is looking at the end of the

1x8. The grooves should run the entire 58” length.

Once the grooves are cut into the board, cut off a 21”

length (the roof), a 25 ½” length (the floor), and a 10

½” length (the front).

Take the remaining 34” piece without grooves, and cut a 10 ½” piece from it. Trim one side so it is

6” wide instead of 7¼”. This is the back of the hive.

Of the remaining piece of wood, cut the width down to 5 ¾”.

Cut off an 8 ¾” section, and two 4 ½” sections. These pieces make the feeder housing.

Cut the ⅜” square dowel into one 5” length and two 4 ½” lengths.

From the plywood, cut two panels 19¼ x 10⅜”. These are made a little small to allow for expansion

during hot days if the hive is kept outside. If it will always be indoors in the shade, increase the

height to 10 ½”. You can always sand them down if the fit is too tight.

Summary of wood pieces:

Roof: 21x7¼”

Floor: 25½ x7¼” All three pieces with a ¼” deep groove cut ½” in from

Front: 10 ½ x 7¼” each side along the entire length.

Two bottom cleats: 1 ¾ x 7 ¼” each

Back: 10 ½ x 6”

Feeder housing base: 4 ½ x 5 ¾”

Feeder housing top panel: 4 ½ x 5 ¾”

Feeder housing side panel: 8 ½ x 5 ¾”

Three feeder base spacers ⅜” square dowel cut 5”, 4½”, and 4½”

Two privacy panels: 19½ x 10 ⅜”

Cut a 2 ¾” diameter circle out of the feeder housing base. This is cut to fit the perforated lid of your

quart or pint mason jar. The lid should rest on its outer rim when sitting in the hole. On the underside,

staple a 4x5” piece of hardware cloth, covering the hole. Glue the dowel pieces around three sides of

the base on the same side as the mesh. This raises the base so the bees can get under the feeder,

and covers the hole so the feeder can be removed without the bees escaping. If you have no means

of cutting the circle, you can modify the hive to fit a Boardman feeder. The bees will be able to escape

when you change the feed unless you figure out a way to screen the feeder. If the hive is always

outdoors, escaping bees isn’t such a problem.

On the top end of both the front and back panels, you will cut a ¾” dado (notch) in which to slide your

frames. Set your table saw guide to ¾”. Set the blade to stick up ¼” from the table surface. Cut a ¼”

-½”- 5 ⅞” -½”-

^--------------¼” deep---------------^

deep groove at the ¾” mark, then slide the guide in a little and cut out another groove.

Continue doing this until you can easily chip out the thin bits of wood left in the ¾” wide

notch. Smooth with sandpaper. Do this to the top end of both the front and back panels. To

prevent the frames from sliding against the glass while the hive is carried or manipulated,

glue a tiny (¼” x ¼”) piece of wood or insert a tiny nail on one side only of both the front and

back panels, flush with the edge. (see picture below). You will insert and remove the frames

from the other side of these stoppers. After you place the frames in, you can tack a small

nail or staple into the dado to keep the frames from sliding forward.

Drill a ⅞” to 1” hole (depending on the exterior diameter of your pvc connector) in the center

bottom third of the front panel. Drill two tiny holes in the pvc connector and glue and nail* it

to the inside of the hole so it is flush with the inside of the hive. (*Place a tiny nail inside the

hole—like a wire nail or a foundation nail—hold it there with the flat of a flat-head

screwdriver, and lightly tap the screwdriver shaft with a hammer.)

At the bottom of the back panel, cut out a 3 x ⅜” rectangle. This allows the bees to

enter the base of the feeder. If you’re using a Boardman feeder instead of the

feeder base, measure the dimensions of the Boardman and cut the slot to fit.

Drill two 1” ventilation holes in the roof. Staple hardware cloth over the holes. The

cloth must be on the inside of the hive. If they are on the outside, the bees will

chew at the holes until they widen them past the edges of the mesh where they can

escape. Buy a couple of corks that fit in the holes.

Time to assemble the hive. Begin with the floor board. Measuring from one end,

draw lines across the width of the floor board and mark the lines with these letters:

A: ¼” B: 1” C: 19 ½” D: 20 ¼” E: 24 ¾”

A B C D E

¾”

¼”

(side

view)

Frame stopper---^

Back panel

3”

⅜”

dado

Lay out the pieces as shown. Make sure everything lines up. The grooved front panel is set between

points A and B. The narrow back panel is set between points C and D. Remember to face the dados

inward. Check their distance with a deep frame before affixing. The roof has a ½” overhang on each

side. The feeder base and housing are flush with the back panel and the very end of the floor. At

point E, do not glue the housing to the floor. Affix it with the hinge so the housing door can open to

receive a quart jar. Attach the cleats 3” in from each end. Put felt pads on the cleats, if desired.

Drill pilot holes, glue the pieces, then screw them in. Wipe up any excess glue, especially inside the

hive.

Cut the acrylic glass into two 19½ x 11” pieces. Clamp a metal ruler or square to the acrylic and to the

table. Use a utility knife to cut deep grooves into the plastic. When the grooves are more than half the

depth, clamp the plastic to the table with the groove at the edge of the table and whack the overhang

hard with your hand to snap it off the main piece. Sand the edges smooth. The pieces should slide

easily from the feeder end and fit into the grooves at the front of the hive.

Stick a small piece of adhesive felt over one hole on the inside of four of the

brackets. The felt touches the glass. Mark and drill a small pilot hole for each

bracket. Affix one near the top and one near the bottom on each

side. Place the hasp as shown in the picture to keep the feeder

housing closed.

Attach four brackets on each side of the hive—two on top and

two on the bottom—to hold the privacy panel. The privacy panel

slides in front of the glass. I stuck a 1” felt pad at each corner of

the plywood. The felt prevents the wood from scratching or

rattling against the acrylic.

The bees need a way to get outside if the hive is indoors. Find a

flexible tube that fits snugly on the end of the pvc and is long enough

to go from the hive out the window. They prefer a dark tube over a

clear one. Drill a hole the diameter of the tube in a 2x4 and placed

that in the slightly- open window. Duct-tape the 2x4 to the window on

both sides to seal up holes and keep both bees and drafts out of the

house. To secure the tube to the hive, loop a hose clamp around the

tube over the connector and cinch.

When you’re ready to put the bees in, just remove the two brackets on one side of the hive’s back

panel and slide out the glass. Place frames with bees, larvae, eggs, and a queen (or watch while they

make their own), and make sure there’s some pollen and food stores on some of the frames. It’s best

to use foundationless so your view isn’t obscured. The frames are pushed to the back and abut the

small permanent frame-stopper glued there. Frames should be scraped clean of burr comb and

propolis so that they touch each other, otherwise the bee space will be incorrect.

Start out your observation hive with both ventilation holes closed. If

you see condensation built up on the glass, open one vent and if it

doesn’t dry up in a day or two, open the other one. If the hive is

outside, tack a dark cloth over the holes so air can move around but

the bees won’t be bothered by the light.

If the bees are often clustered from the cold, lay a heavy blanket or a

couple towels over the top of the hive and down the sides. Temperature and ventilation are tricky with

observation hives, so watch carefully until the bees tell you they are comfortable.

To remove the hive for maintenance or presentation, find a break in the stream of bees coming and

going. Disconnect the hose from the connector, placing a cork in the tube and screwing a pvc cap

onto the connector.

The hive will need to be cleaned periodically. Place the bees in a nuc near their window entrance.

Then you can spend time cleaning the glass, brushing out dead bees, and scraping burr comb and

propolis away from their home site.

You’re all set. All you need now is permission from your spouse!

Please e-mail me at dehavik@yahoo.com if you have any questions, and especially let me know if

I’ve made a mistake in the instructions.