Matt Fearnow

Ross, I'm not sure why either. I'd suggest maybe posting this message over on http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/warrebeekeeping/ There are a lot of warre experts on that list that will probably be able to give you advice.

IIRC, someone had once said, food planted under and just near the hive will for the most part be ignored. What is the first thing a bee does and leaves the hive for (feces)? So I'd be interested to hear what some of the experts have to say.

I too, much to David's advice use solid bottoms.

Ashley,

We home school as well. This is our first year, and have not started the bee's yet (only a few more weeks). But I can tell you my girls are excited about it. They have been involved with a lot of the things. We will have window's on some of ours, but after a while the windows may not be useful as the comb get's built up. So I plan to try and use a camera as well.

There are many thoughts around this. Personally I think that all things are accumulating to cause the hive collapse. Whether that be GMO, Neonicticides, pesticides and insecticides.

There are many different types of hives. The traditional "American" hive that folks think about is called a Langstroth Hive. There is the Warre Hive. And also Top Bar Hive aka as Kenyan. I'm sure there are many others that I am missing. The style of hive depends upon your style. As David puts in his book, there are 4 attitudes of bee keeping and there can even be a blend.

I know that this doesn't help answer your question directly. I'm new this year myself, but in research I was going to start with the TBH, but after reading I decided to go with Warre hives.
HTH
Matt