Hexa-Hive Architecture – History
The Hexa-Hives are experimental hives that continue to be changed and adapted.
This page contains details on the Hexa-Hives.
Construction and operations of the hives, changes, alterations and best practices, in chronological order:
If you tweak a Hexa-Hive, or add changes that make the box a better place for bees or humans, please share this knowledge with christina(at)melliferopolis(dot)net!
2011:
The original Hexa-Hive, design by Kiran Gangadharan.
Photo: Bartaku
Photo: Bartaku
The first installation of a Hexa-Hive in the Botanic Garden of Kaisaniemi. Please see here a timelapse video.
Photo: Susanna Kekkonen
Photo: Ulla Taipale
2013:
First alterations to enlarge the hive, and lift it up from the ground. Now, the hive hosting the bees is on a pole, the boxes on the ground are for the comfort of human visitors. The first Hexa-Hive Village is being built in Otaniemi.
Photo: Christina Stadlbauer
Photo: Christina Stadlbauer
2014:
A roof is added – made of copper, to protect the bees and the wood.
Photo: Christina Stadlbauer
2015:
The hives are a semi-permanent installation in Kaisaniemi Botanic Garden. Honey samples are taken for research.
Photos: Christina Stadlbauer
Some ideas on the issues and possible solutions found in this Hexa-Hive construction document.
The Hexa-Hive Village is enhanced by the Airstrip for Bees, a flowering bed for pollinators.
First installation in Kouvola Art Museum, in the summer of 2015.
Photo:Johannes Wiehn
The airstrip was renamed, because it attracts so many different pollinators:
Hexa Hive village with Airstrip for Pollinators, in Tarja Halosen Puisto, Helsinki:
Photo: Antti Ahonen
Photo: Antti Ahonen
2016:
Several “invisible” alterations are added for the bees’ comfort – aeration and change of the flying hole towards the bottom board are the most important.
2017:
Internal changes: In order to make the work with the Hexa-Hive less destructive and to give the bees higher frames (the Hexa-Hive frames are very “short”), the box was changed on the inside. Some images:
Photo: Petri Heino
2018:
Distributed Hexa-Hive Village
The first 2 hives were sent to Bremen and Bristol. The distributed Hexa-Hive Village is an ongoing project to experiment with this hive in different locations throughout Europe.
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