entrance holes in supers

[mark s]

evenin all
just been doing some light reading and have read that some beekeepers drill entrance holes in there supers so the girls dont have to travel all the way up through the bb and other supers to deposit there stuff,
do any of you beeks out there practice this

 

[Poly Hive]

An American text perchance?

PH

 

[mark s]

hi ph
a certain mister david cramp wether he is american i know not

 

[FenBee]

Obviously his bees are not bothered by wasps!

 

[RoofTops]

It is not commonly done in the UK. Where it is practised it is used when there is a strong flow but the holes need to be small so the bees can defend them.

The claimed advantages are less congestion in the brood chamber as the foragers are not trooping up through the brood chamber or dropping their nectar in the brood chamber itself, thus reducing laying space for the queen.

Wasps are not a problem except at the end of the season when the queen wasps slow down or stop laying but this should not be an issue as I can't see anyone using this system at the end of the year. During the season the only threat are other bees.

 

[Poly Hive]

Seems he is a Brit but it's not an idea I myself would use or promote.

http://www.beedata.com/apis-uk/moreprofile.htm

However he is not keeping his bees in the UK but in Spain. Climate dear friends makes a huge difference to what you can and cannot do.

PH

 

[Finman]

.
I have used them 45 years. They have many advantages.

look picture http://bees.freesuperhost.com/yabbfiles/Attachments/Kuva_049.jpg

But normally I keep super entrances closed. They keep honey supers cool and bees do not store honey near entrance. Mostly I keep upper entrances open in brood boxes.

 

[GingerNut]

.
Mostly I keep upper entrances open in brood boxes.

Hi Finman,

Can you explain this please?

Yours Roy

 

[Finman]

.
I have fast bottom and I use entrance reducer.

in winter bees need upper entrance open. In spring it is better to keep closed but you cannot shut it because bees if bees are accustomed to use that hole.

Bees love to use upper entrances of brood boxes. Bees store pollen around brood area and it is a short way to move in the hive.

in the middle of summer during heavy nectar flow I keep main entrance fully open and some upper entrances in super. Drying up nectar need openings.

 

[GingerNut]

.
I have fast bottom and I use entrance reducer.

in winter bees need upper entrance open. In spring it is better to keep closed but you cannot shut it because bees if bees are accustomed to use that hole.

Bees love to use upper entrances of brood boxes. Bees store pollen around brood area and it is a short way to move in the hive.

in the middle of summer during heavy nectar flow I keep main entrance fully open and some upper entrances in super. Drying up nectar need openings.

Thanx Finman,

Very interesting

Winter: Do you just have the bees in a brood box with no supers? and use an upper entrance open?

Surely this will let all the heat out? I'm not complaining, just trying to understand?

Could you post a picture showing the brood box with both upper and lower entrances please? (And any details like sizes)

I like this idea and would like to incorperate it into my design

Yours Roy

 

[Finman]

.

This was a hot summer. Day temp was often +30C and hives use to be in hot places. Pic is first week of July. vegetation is burned.

 

[mikethebee]

blaze pictures 029.jpg (2.29 MB)