If you’re moving during a cold spell no need to let them chew through. They won’t be flying anyway. I routinely move my potting shed bait hives quarter of a mile in the winter blocking the entrance off just for the move.
bees reorientate briefly most mornings, in winter when the are cooped up for days on end even more thoroughly - remember the ones we all see hovering in front of the hives for ages are just the youngsters on their first trip out when they need to imprint the image of the hive in their memories, the older ones, when reorientating just get out then fly around the hive in ever increasing circles so you don't notice them so readily, I often move hives short distances at the end of a cold snap over winter, sometimes it's just rearranging the apiary and moving nucs to their new spring positions.
That is the difference between commercial and amateur, be careful, someone may follow your advice and put hives in their car without the entrances blocked, heaters full on and a cloud of bees obscuring their view. I remember a commercial near me telling me of an incident where beekeepers were driving back to Cumbria, when bees they had bought started escaping and filling the car.
It aldepends if the bees are on a trailer and not in the cab..
I'm talking about bees in the cab, which would be a no, no, for leaving the entrances open. I use aluminium tape if I haven't got enough foam strips, I find it sticks better than any other tape, especially if the hives are damp or wet.
I'll have to get some Ali tape something Extra to have in the tool box.
