Entrance size?

[Hawklord]

I removed the last Apiguard tray and eke today and noticed the bees weren't using the full entrance. The entrance block provides a slot 6mm x 120mm, should it be smaller and how much smaller?

 

[oliver90owner]

Any wasps about? OMF or solid? For the cluster season - ventilation, ventilation, ventilation for moisture control, but draught proof for heat retention. Soon they may not be using the entrance at all (for long periods).

Regards, RAB

 

[MJBee]

We had a couple of nights with ground frost last week. For me that is the cue to remove entrance blocks and put mouse guards on.
We are however very rural, surrounded by woodland and their attendant wood mice
Mike

 

[PaleoPerson]

Mine are the same (6mm x 120mm) with OMF. There are a lot of wasps about at the moment, but they have learnt the hard way not to mess around near the entrance, both hives are very capable against wasps at the moment so they lurk underneath picking up scraps, but god help a bee that falls.

Today, it really looked like I should take the entrance block out all together as it being so warm, everyone was out and about and this size entrance was a real bottleneck, but is is staying put. Reducing the entrance at this time would give them more of a problem.

No mouse guards as they are still stacking in the pollen and our cats are extremely effective mousers.

 

[Hawklord]

They are on an OMF but the tray was in until today. Also there are a lot of wasps about with the odd 1 darting in the entrance and not appearing again. Pollen was still going in so I don't want to put the mouse guard on yet.

 

[Brosville]

if it's of any help, I'm just about to make my own mouseguard for a Warré from a design by one of the leading exponents - entrance size 7.5mmx70mm