added wet supers late eve, and trying to reduce

[Cuckmere couple]

entrance...is tough

the entrance blocks are always propolised up and you have to lift brood box off to loosen entrance and then all hell breaks loose

How do you reduce entrance to prevent robbing, when adding wet supers, in the eve?

 

[masterBK]

Reduce the entrance at an earlier occasion is the obvious answer. Vaselining the blocks when you put them in the 1st place helps to reduce the propolis problem (other brands of petroleum jelly are available!)

 

[Amari]

entrance...is tough

the entrance blocks are always propolised up and you have to lift brood box off to loosen entrance and then all hell breaks loose

How do you reduce entrance to prevent robbing, when adding wet supers, in the eve?

An essential in my 'tool bag': strips of sponge (nicked from SHMBO's upholstery kit) about 1" square of varying lengths. - and bees don't chew it. Instant method of reducing or closing an entrance.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

ok...thanks

i use vaseline on poly nucs...good idea to use on hive

its always tricky taking out entrance block

 

[Hivemaker.]

strips of sponge Instant method of reducing or closing an entrance.

 

[Millet]

entrance...is tough

the entrance blocks are always propolised up and you have to lift brood box off to loosen entrance and then all hell breaks loose

How do you reduce entrance to prevent robbing, when adding wet supers, in the eve?

simple do not add wet supers at this time of the year..store them instead..

 

[simonforeman]

Can you use sponge as entrance reducer all winter or will it soak up moisture?

 

[ShinySideUp]

Can you use sponge as entrance reducer all winter or will it soak up moisture?

Stating the obvious I suppose but...it's a sponge.

 

[madasafish]

I have landing boards on all my hives and add entrance blocks on the outside. They are propolised fixed in days. No hive disturbance at all (and I would expect normal bees not to object if I lifted the front of the hives up with a wedge to slide blacks in - no need to lift boxes.

I store supers wet and nadir one full super under the BB.

 

[Amari]

Can you use sponge as entrance reducer all winter or will it soak up moisture?

Yes, all year round if necessary. For reasons best known to itself it doesn't seem to get wet.