May be slightly obsessed *twitch*

[FidoDido]

So my first lot of bees are going great guns. They’re practically multiplying as I watch. The modest trickle in and out at the beginning is now a slightly less polite jumble of barging, pollen laden bodies…

Question: (I may have asked this before. My memory is shocking) - should I make their entrance bigger? It seems this is one of those things that people can’t agree on. My feeling is that if their only entrance was a hole in a tree they’d just have to learn to queue… but presumably the bigger the entrance the more quickly they can get in, offload and go out foraging again.


So I’ve caught a swarm in my nuc box. Hoorah! Beekeeping friend says to let them settle for a couple of days and then move them into hive 2 one evening.

Question: Whenninput them in the hive should I feed them?? I’m on a flower farm and forage seems to be booming (well going by hive 1’s expansion, greedy little buggers). I fed my first hive for a week or so with some fondant (I think it should have been syrup really) but they barely took any.


So anyway - I’m absolutely loving this. I know at some point the novelty will wear off inasmuch as I probably won’t spend quite so much time watching them but I just find them so calming to watch and handle. So…

Question: I think I’ve got room for another hive. I’ve been looking at poly hives. Could you lovely experienced lot tell me the pros and cons please? Ta very much!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

should I make their entrance bigger?

the three inch (or so) entrance on the entrance block is sufficient

Beekeeping friend says to let them settle for a couple of days and then move them into hive 2 one evening.

If you have to move them any distance from where they settled, you need to do it immediately, within 24 hours really.

Whenninput them in the hive should I feed them?

if there is a good flow on, there's no need. if the flow is non existent or mediocre, then feed - a new swarm is a wax/comb making factory and won't stop drawing comb as long as there is an uninterrupted flow of nectar/syrup

 

[FidoDido]

the three inch (or so) entrance on the entrance block is sufficient

If you have to move them any distance from where they settled, you need to do it immediately, within 24 hours really.

if there is a good flow on, there's no need. if the flow is non existent or mediocre, then feed - a new swarm is a wax/comb making factory and won't stop drawing comb as long as there is an uninterrupted flow of nectar/syrup

Thank you!

 

[Newbeeneil]

So my first lot of bees are going great guns. They’re practically multiplying as I watch. The modest trickle in and out at the beginning is now a slightly less polite jumble of barging, pollen laden bodies…

Question: (I may have asked this before. My memory is shocking) - should I make their entrance bigger? It seems this is one of those things that people can’t agree on. My feeling is that if their only entrance was a hole in a tree they’d just have to learn to queue… but presumably the bigger the entrance the more quickly they can get in, offload and go out foraging again.


So I’ve caught a swarm in my nuc box. Hoorah! Beekeeping friend says to let them settle for a couple of days and then move them into hive 2 one evening.

Question: Whenninput them in the hive should I feed them?? I’m on a flower farm and forage seems to be booming (well going by hive 1’s expansion, greedy little buggers). I fed my first hive for a week or so with some fondant (I think it should have been syrup really) but they barely took any.


So anyway - I’m absolutely loving this. I know at some point the novelty will wear off inasmuch as I probably won’t spend quite so much time watching them but I just find them so calming to watch and handle. So…

Question: I think I’ve got room for another hive. I’ve been looking at poly hives. Could you lovely experienced lot tell me the pros and cons please? Ta very much!

I think Seeley found that bees choose an entrance of about 700mm2

 

[BugsInABox]

I think Seeley found that bees choose an entrance of about 700mm2

But I think that was in cavity selection for swarm scouts. That might not be optimal in other circumstances.

 

[Erichalfbee]

But I think that was in cavity selection for swarm scouts

The same scouts that selected where the swarm was going to expand and live as a colony?

 

[Garry R]

I know a few beekeepers who have full width entrances about 450mm x 12mm high and these seem successful for them in the summer when bees are in full flow mode. Indeed hives are sold in this format. In winter this entrance is cut down hugely. I use 80 x 10mm entrances all year round and with open mesh floors have no issue with overheating or bearding. These hives are polystyrene with home made wooden floors and the wooden roofs are home made with 25-50mm insulation with no hole in the crownboard. I have no top ventilation at all. I like to think that the smaller entrance is easier to defend against wasps from August onwards and when feeding. However I still use the electric trunking wasp guard on the entrance (home made too being a skinflint) at the back end of the year and they work well and save a lot of energy and angst on the bees part I think that one should look at the entrance size that bees will choose in feral colonies and in general they are smaller than a beekeeper would possibly use. I wonder why?

 

[BugsInABox]

The same scouts that selected where the swarm was going to expand and live as a colony?

Yes, Seeley showed entrance size was one of the things they assess.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes, Seeley showed entrance size was one of the things they assess.

Yes defence. So surely appropriate for the lifetime of the colony

 

[BugsInABox]

Yes defence. So surely appropriate for the lifetime of the colony

I guess I suppose I was alluding to Garry-R’s just made points. Presumably not having much option to be able to expand and shrink an entrance they plump for a compromise.

 

[Moobee]

I guess I suppose I was alluding to Garry-R’s just made points. Presumably not having much option to be able to expand and shrink an entrance they plump for a compromise.

I’m sure bees will propolise and reduce an entrance they’re not happy with. They certainly did it in one of my nucs that I left a bit too wide!