Question regarding "Landing boards."

[Olivia9801]

Is it flexible either way on whether they should be flat or angled down and away from the entrance?

Furthermore, should they be level with or dropped down slightly from the hive entrance creating a "kerbed" effect at its junction with the doorway?

What are the views?

Regards

Olivia9801

 

[madasafish]

If you do have landing boards, ensure either they or the hives are angled so rainwater will not flow into the hive.

Bees in natural nests (holes in trees) don't have them.. Up to you if you want them.

I have hives with and without... Makes no apparent difference except for viewing bees.

 

[Amari]

Yes, I enjoy watching the bees land on a narrow board with their pollen baskets. The landing boards are a nuisance when trying to load hives compactly into the back of my hatchback

 

[Finman]

Is it flexible either way on whether they should be flat or angled down and away from the entrance?

Furthermore, should they be level with or dropped down slightly from the hive entrance creating a "kerbed" effect at its junction with the doorway?

What are the views?

Regards

Olivia9801

When you look yourself, how tired bees land onto the hive entrance, you see, how it should be.

But it is a technical mistake that floor continues as landingboard. It gathers rainwater onto the inside floor.

I use always sheet of ply too, that it stops grass to grow in front of entrance.
.

 

[Finman]

Yes, I enjoy watching the bees land on a narrow board with their pollen baskets. The landing boards are a nuisance when trying to load hives compactly into the back of my hatchback

You can use movable plate.

.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

commercial beekeepers don't bother with them at all - they all seem to manage

 

[Finman]

I have hives with and without... Makes no apparent difference except for viewing bees.

It really has practical value for bees. Without board tired bees drop inside the grass. When it is a big flow and bees are tired for temperature, tens of bees walk at same time on board. Couple of days ago bees foraged very late apple trees, and they were really stiff when they arrived home.

And big board stops hay growing in front of entrance.

...
Yeah ...beekeepers love to debate about this issue along decades. Everybody may use what ever they want. You do not need consensus...

 

[Hivemaker.]

It really has practical value for bees.

What is the average difference in honey yield with and without using landing boards.

 

[Finman]

commercial beekeepers don't bother with them at all - they all seem to manage

But landing board would be more advantage than harm even to commercial beekeepers.

I may use too a piece matress in front of the hive that it stops grass growing.
.

 

[wessexmario]

In nature, bees do have landing boards... it's the whole of the tree below the hole they're living in. What bees don't have in nature is OMF that allows them to smell the hive but not get inside.

So, the most "natural" landing board for a bee would be a vertical board below the entrance that prevents them getting caught under the OMF and which allows them to climb up to the hive entrance if they undershoot on attempting to land.

Landing boards are better made as part of the stand, rather than part of the floor, that makes the hives easier to manage when transporting.

 

[Tremyfro]

We have landing boards which are part of the hive stand. When you put the hive on you push it up to the landing board which has a slight slope on it.

 

[Poly Hive]

There is a point to them and they are also a space taker uppper if you move hives so....

A commercial person I know uses squares of material, in his case corrugated iron but carpet works to plonk down and then the hive on top as the material keeps the immediate space around the hive clear of vegetation so weary workers can if needed crawl home and keeping the hives stackable on his trucks.

PH

 

[alfazer]

They are useful but they catch snow in winter, so you need to make sure the entrance is kept cleared.

 

[Finman]

What is the average difference in honey yield with and without using landing boards.

50 kg

.

 

[Finman]

In nature, bees do have landing boards....

And no excluder or smokers

 

[wessexmario]

They are useful but they catch snow in winter, so you need to make sure the entrance is kept cleared.

My understanding of snow conditions is that you should not clear snow from a hive entrance.
If you don't, then the colony can still breathe, but will remain inside. The snow will also stop cold drafts chilling the inside.
While the temperature is too cold for the snow to melt naturally, it's also too cold for bees to fly. If the snow is cleared from the entrance, then the reflected light from ground snow will entice the bees to fly, but they're at high risk from not being able to get back to the hive because they will get chilled by the cold.

 

[pargyle]

Oh dear ... I agree with Finman ... all my hives (the Paynes Polys come with a huge landing board) have landing boards of some type... when the bees are busy the landing boards are all full of bees queuing to get in or out. When I watch them the bees coming in to land seem to prefer landing on the landing board rather than trying to land on the vertical surfaces of the hive. They all slope away from the entrance so there is no chance of rain running back into the hives ..

Regardless of whether it helps the honey yield if you can incorporate a landing board in your hive or hive stand it seems to help the bees and that has to be a good thing IMO.

I seem to recall that someone did a study of bees coming in to land using slowed down video to investigate anc calculate the angle and way that they landed when they returned to the hive and incorporated the findings into the ideal slope for a landing board - can't find it anywhere so perhaps it was just a dream ?

 

[YorkshireBees]

It is a really interesting debate.

I see both pros and cons for landing boards and have colonies with and without.

I don't see a big difference in yield between the colonies with and without and yes I have seen lots of bees in the grass in front of hives without when there is a big flow on. I have also seen almost every bee (99%) land on the hive entrance and not use the landing board at all on other hives, especially if it is wet or raining.

I think in the end it is down to personal choice. Personally the hives stands / floors that I have added landing boards to will stay that way but as I am now almost exclusively buying poly I don't bother with landing boards anymore.

 

[Quis Custodiet]

..................................................................
....................................................................
I seem to recall that someone did a study of bees coming in to land using slowed down video to investigate anc calculate the angle and way that they landed when they returned to the hive and incorporated the findings into the ideal slope for a landing board - can't find it anywhere so perhaps it was just a dream ?

I recall reading an article on the subject, I was unaware a video had been made, technology was probably not that advanced at the time I read it . The angle was sixty degrees to the horizontal. My own modest experiments satisfied me that the author had a point.

 

[YorkshireBees]

If you want to see a video of how many bees use a landing board or land direct, there is a super slow motion one I shot last year.

https://vimeo.com/124211010

It's interesting to see both the bees taking off (some backwards) and the final landing manoeuvres including a few that look not as skilled as in real time!