Hive entrance block

[Queens59]

None of the options really cover so I picked teh nearest. In early spring - small entrance to retain heat, summer open completely, late summer = reduced for wasps/robbing, winter mouseguard...

 

[Fraise]

it's logical

 

[oliver90owner]

I'm wondering if this is a real poll or just a tro;; po;;

 

[Luminos]

None of the options really cover so I picked teh nearest. In early spring - small entrance to retain heat, summer open completely, late summer = reduced for wasps/robbing, winter mouseguard...

 

[Hivemaker.]

Once it is in its new home the colony do not materially change the size of the entrance one way or the other?

Yes some do.

 

[tonybloke]

Again, I dont understand. The only influence in the size of a entrance as I am aware are the initial choice a swarm makes? Once it is in its new home the colony do not materially change the size of the entrance one way or the other?

most of the feral colonies I've seen have reduced the original entrance size.

the actual word 'propolis' is a bit of a clue

 

[Hivemaker.]

Looks like a series of small arches and holes across the hive entrance,seems like the bees don't like gaping holes in the bottom of their hives either.

 

[MuswellMetro]

Yes some do.

my old hawaiian italian strain about F5 by now have always propolised the mouse guard in winter down to about five holes and open it up in March/April to almost half of the width of the box....they must feel the cold

 

[MuswellMetro]

No more flawed than the open feed hole poll. But anyway, thanks for your input.

OK MandF what would your Open feed hole poll questions been , lets see if your open feed poll would have been better than mine

your current poll doesnt not have "other" so that beekeepers with hives like the hedgcoe cannot answer as they entrances that consist of 8mm holes

On entrances I agree with Queen59 and most beekeepers i know do similar though a few never remove the block or use mouseguards...one even nails his in the position it comes from Thornes (winter style with gap at the top as per Yates)

 

[jackbee]

Let's face it, no poll is perfect, as there will always be someone with other options; Other is a catch-all but not perfect.

Constructive criticism can be useful but simply saying the poll is flawed is simply useless tbh, although I think the original comment was based on more than this thread, the enbers are still smouldering.

my entrance - depends on stqate of bees at entrance, l watch my hives most days with a cup of tea, started the year small and have increased as they got busy, will reduce later in year with mouse guards probably

 

[MandF]

Looks like a series of small arches and holes across the hive entrance,seems like the bees don't like gaping holes in the bottom of their hives either.

Wow, never knew that. Thanks for the info.

 

[MandF]

I guess it is too late to edit the poll to add "other" option? So the poll results may be skewed slightly, but I think the comments are where a poll like this comes alive.

Can I ask those who have said they have their entrances fully open during the summer, why they do this? I used to do this, thinking I was helping out as foragers could fly straight in or out of the hive.

But my bees then were golden brown, and when I used to watch the entrance I noticed a fair few robbers (dark bees, and you can tell a robber the way it approaches the hive) enter unimpeded. And then come back out again under their own steam.

So I then decided to reduce my entrances all year round, apart from specific reasons like clearing the carpet of dead bees in spring.

 

[Luminos]

As I understood it, to avoid congestion at the entrance - and that a strong colony would deal with robbers?

 

[MandF]

I know my strong colonies last season were allowing robbers in unchallenged - perhaps not a problem overall?

I did consider that these bees weren't aggressive enough (inspecting them was a pleasure), but even if they were more aggressive, having a wide open entrance made it too easy for robbers, and would require many more guard bees to be on duty and/or be recruiting worker bees to help deal with robbers (and detract from what they were already doing).

The other option was to leave them with a smaller entrance, which might mean a bit of congestion, but I thought on balance it was worth it for hives more easily defended and less likely to attract robbers from elsewhere with their potential varroa load and other diseases.

No right or wrong, just my thought process and decision.

 

[MartinL]

Flawed. As usual, a poorly conceived poll, not taking into account anything about the actual entrance arrangement on any particular hive type................

Not enough options, likely to derive inaccurate outcome?

I always close the entrances down when the wasps are around.
My stronger hives fully open most of the time when it's warm!

 

[Luminos]

I know my strong colonies last season were allowing robbers in unchallenged - perhaps not a problem overall?

I did consider that these bees weren't aggressive enough (inspecting them was a pleasure), but even if they were more aggressive, having a wide open entrance made it too easy for robbers, and would require many more guard bees to be on duty and/or be recruiting worker bees to help deal with robbers (and detract from what they were already doing).

The other option was to leave them with a smaller entrance, which might mean a bit of congestion, but I thought on balance it was worth it for hives more easily defended and less likely to attract robbers from elsewhere with their potential varroa load and other diseases.

No right or wrong, just my thought process and decision.

Ah well you need some proper French bees, MandF, not wusses

 

[MandF]

Ah well you need some proper French bees, MandF, not wusses

Well I might be buying in a queen next year, so I may go for a Frenchie and see what the fuss is all about

 

[Luminos]

Well I might be buying in a queen next year, so I may go for a Frenchie and see what the fuss is all about

Well make sure there aren't any bits missing. It's rumoured that the French behead their queens...

 

[BeeJayBee]

How do you manage your hive entrances on your hives?

I'm guessing the question is aimed at National users, because our Sw1enty poly lang floor/box combination has a full width entrance that's a fraction higher than beespace.

We also have home-made floors like the one in this thread http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=15588

There doesn't seem any need to artificially 'manage' either of these entrances.

 

[jackbee]

Well make sure there aren't any bits missing. It's rumoured that the French behead their queens...

do you have to feed cake rather than sugar syrup for French queen-led colonies?