Extra entrances?

[steve56616]

Just wondered how many use entrances higher up of just the bottom one?
Biggest hive is now 2 x bb and 4 supers and wondered if adding at least one more entrance would help as it seems a long way up for them and they were quite hot today.

 

[BeeJayBee]

They'd have to guard two entrances, which would spread resources. With air rising through the OMF and out of an upper gap the inside could be a bit like a wind tunnel. Bees tend to choose enclosed spaces for a natural nest, often with only a small entrance. They close any other gaps with propolis.

Apart from that I don't see why a hive shouldn't have two entrances

 

[steve56616]

They'd have to guard two entrances, which would spread resources. With air rising through the OMF and out of an upper gap the inside could be a bit like a wind tunnel. Bees tend to choose enclosed spaces for a natural nest, often with only a small entrance. They close any other gaps with propolis.

Apart from that I don't see why a hive shouldn't have two entrances

I was just interested as I have seen some hives with small entrances all the way up and then blocked in winter with corks.
I just wondered if it sort of made sense that the weren't wasting energy fighting they way up through a deep hive, rather then straight in to were they are placing the nectar.
I do see you point about a wind tunnel

 

[BeeJayBee]

I know what you mean, and I've seen plenty of videos and pictures of hives with more than one entrance but I've never really understood the need, especially if a hive is well insulated. (DerekM will tell you my hives aren't particularly well insulated, by his standards!) All mine are using entrance slits about 40mm across, by about 8mm high.

Don't let me put you off trying it - somebody else will come along in a minute and say it's a fantastic idea. You know ... ask two beekeepers a question and get half a dozen different answers!

 

[Hivemaker.]

Just wondered how many use entrances higher up of just the bottom one?

Yes i do.

 

[steve56616]

Yes i do.

So you obviously find it works well. What are your reasons?

 

[mbc]

What are your reasons?

The number one reason why I have some top entrances is wonky supers

The bees seem to like them.

 

[Bob Bee]

I have two hives with entrances above the supers as well as normal bottom entrances. These are the result of recombining early demaree splits. The demaree board I have left above the supers to gather the flying bees from the top box while the two brood boxes were united with paper (probably didnt need the paper, just being cautious..), they seem to like it, so will probably leave it while the weather is good and before I see any wasp increase.

 

[user 6228]

The key issue does the extra entrance remove or add to the energy requirement to ripen honey and maintain the brood temperature & humidity balance? Its not a simple problem to solve for all weather conditions e.g. day and night.
Does the increased airflow reduce the top of the nest temperature and so inhibit honey ripening? Do bee behaviours take advantage of the high airflow or do they fight against them? So i would go with restoring the hive to the middle of the envelope of the nest characteristics that bees evolved to live in . That is a very low thermal conductivity nest, single entrance at the bottom, high thermal inertia , a high aspect ratio
The last two are very difficult to achieve and be practical. However centring the other characteristics works very well in the current very warm conditions. No bearding, honey ripened rapidly and small colonies develop rapidly even with very few bees.

 

[Saradan]

I recall George Imirie (passed away some years ago) advocated using a shim between supers.

He believed using additional entrances reduced congestion in the brood chamber aiding swarm prevention.

More details if you google "Imirie Shim"


Tony

 

[steve56616]

Read 'Imirie Shim' just now although I have seen it before.
Swings and roundabouts again so I'm not convinced either way, probably just stay as they are with bottom entrance.
I was thinking it might help to avoid congestion and wondered if they would feel less cramped and therefore less likely to swarm as often as they have been, then the bees tending the nest are not as cramped with bees trying to get to the supers. I suppose I could try it on one hive and see the differences for myself

 

[user 6228]

Read 'Imirie Shim' just now although I have seen it before.
Swings and roundabouts again so I'm not convinced either way, probably just stay as they are with bottom entrance.
I was thinking it might help to avoid congestion and wondered if they would feel less cramped and therefore less likely to swarm as often as they have been, then the bees tending the nest are not as cramped with bees trying to get to the supers. I suppose I could try it on one hive and see the differences for myself

Putting in vents to reduce congestion..I dont think so bees will fill a 65L nest even if its only 200mm in diameter and over 2m tall... conventional hives are multilane motorways in comparison. Any effect on swarming will be because it need more bees to keep the nest warm, thats going to increase the overheads of the colony.
Think efficiency, thats Kg of honey per hectare. Then you want more of the colony foraging, less keeping the nest warm, fewer nurse bees per unit of brood.