3 frame mating boxes.

[Newbeeneil]

Being a rainy day yesterday and wanting to get out from under the feet of SWMBO I retired to my shed and resorted to knocking up a few 3 frame boxes in 6mm ply with the idea of encapsulating these in PU board.
Going skip diving this afternoon but before I completely envelope the boxes it occurred to me is it best to have a completely solid floor, as constructed, or should I allow for an option to ventilate at the bottom?
I was also going to make tunnel entrances from 25x10 mm electrical conduit which will finish below the cluster. My concern is that these may not be big enough if the colony gets busy.

 

[understanding_bees]

Being a rainy day yesterday and wanting to get out from under the feet of SWMBO I retired to my shed and resorted to knocking up a few 3 frame boxes in 6mm ply with the idea of encapsulating these in PU board.
Going skip diving this afternoon but before I completely envelope the boxes it occurred to me is it best to have a completely solid floor, as constructed, or should I allow for an option to ventilate at the bottom?
I was also going to make tunnel entrances from 25x10 mm electrical conduit which will finish below the cluster. My concern is that these may not be big enough if the colony gets busy.

I realise that you and I live in different parts of the world, but also that we have different climates.

Having said that, and having in mind the different ideas expressed about ventilation, I would like to share some information from what my bees have shown me.

Firstly, please let me refer to something which I found absolutely fascinating when I watched the film "City of Bees", in which bees were seen drawing air into the hive on one side of the hive box, and expelling air on the other side.

I have provided two entrances, one on each side of the hive box, (about 7cm wide and 10mm high) and the bees seem very happy with that arrangement. I think that it would be unlikely that you need wider entrances than I have used, when we consider that your climate is not as warm as ours. Even though many people like the idea of screened bottom boards, and underfloor ventilation, I think that these provide for more opportunities for the bees to become cooler than they would prefer.