Entrance block - some advice please

[freethorpe bees]

My new colony seems to be doing well - I inspected them Wednesday under the calming influence of Lois! Thanks Lois! I still have the entrance block in place (national hive). Should I remove it or maybe put if 'on the wonk' as I saw some when I did my practical beekeeping course.

FB

 

[Midland Beek]

I am presuming 'on the wonk' means pulled out at one end.

You have to use your own judgement really. I think if I had installed a nuc there would hopefully come a point where the colony was stronger and there was visibly some congestion at the hive entrance.

Robbing and wasp trouble are mostly Aug/September problems.

 

[MuswellMetro]

My new colony seems to be doing well - I inspected them Wednesday under the calming influence of Lois! Thanks Lois! I still have the entrance block in place (national hive). Should I remove it or maybe put if 'on the wonk' as I saw some when I did my practical beekeeping course.

FB

we told our beginners with late may Nucs to take the blocks out after three weeks and put back in first week in august IF wasps about otherwise third week ( london season runs later)

one beginer that did not follow instrction ended up with an empty brood box this week...bees got too hot and absonded to a nearbye bush

 

[Firegazer]

I'd better sort out mine as well, today.

The Modern Beekeeping poly Lang has a full width, fairly high volume entrance, so I blocked most of it up with bits of wood as the colony was still small.

They are now about filling the first Lang BB and starting into their second, with serious foraging during the day. I think I should give them the full width entrance for a while.

My hive also has an OMF, though, so I guess they aren't going to overheat - will just the traffic jam at the entrance cause them to look elsewhere for accommodation?

FG

 

[MrB]

I have just started to notice that they now fill the gap in the block, so i think its time for it to come out!

 

[Poly Hive]

In general for full size colonies the block should be out.

Actually I never put one in.

PH

 

[freethorpe bees]

Thanks everyone - think I'll take mine out when I look at them next week. It'll probably help in this hot weather too.

FB

 

[Beezy]

I took the entrance block off my national a few days ago after having it on for 3 weeks. However there were a couple of v small wasps around the entrance and as I was sitting watching the bees, one of them attacked a honeybee that was walking on the ground (I think a nurse bee). As I'm sentimental I swatted it away and put the bee back on the hive.

Presumably as it's not proper wasp season yet, the bees can fend off these titchy wasps without me needing to restrict the entrance again?

 

[birchdale]

The wasps are after a bit of protein for their babes at this time of the year. Any bee that can't fly for any reason and lands on the ground is smartly killed, sawn up into manageable pieces and then taken back to the wasp nest for the little 'uns by the ever lurking wasps.
The babes in the nest return the favour by feeding the adult wasps a sweet treat. Later in the year their are very few babes with their sweet treats and the adult wasps turn their attentions to full time robbery with GBH from the colony to get their sweet fix.

Last year I put out a slither of ham that was quickly taken away by the wasps - AMAZING to watch.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Last year I put out a slither of ham that was quickly taken away by the wasps - AMAZING to watch.

I have seen wasps cut up mealworms put out for the nesting birds.