size of hive entrance

[tonybloke]

Why do folk enlarge the size of the entrance on their hive?

true, the returning foragers may have to queue for a minute to get in, but that happens at all popular venues.

With the entrance kept small, cannot the bees better regulate the temperature of the brood area?

I am not aware of any instance when bees increase the size of the entrance on a feral colony?

Would keeping the entrance small reduce the threat of robbing, thereby reducing the number of guard bees needed, and make for a more peaceful hive?

Clive De Bruyn mentions this in his book 'practical beekeeping' when he refers to a colony in a steel 45 gal drum.

Any thoughts on this?

 

[Polyanwood]

Big colony with a flow needs a big entrance. It can defend it. Why would you want to slow down foragers... remember they will queue on the inside and outside if the entrance is too small. You also lose more pollen when entrance is restricted and there is a lot of jostling... on the other hand to make robbing harder, I don't take the entrance blocks out until the colony starts to queue.

 

[jimbeekeeper]

With the entrance kept small, cannot the bees better regulate the temperature of the brood area?

But the entrance size is irrelevant if you have open mesh floors?

I am not aware of any instance when bees increase the size of the entrance on a feral colony?

And thinking about it (and progressing from above) I have seen many pictures of colonies that are built simply under an overhang of some description, so not in a "box" with any entrance to speak of.

Like these

http://www.flickr.com/photos/esneri/

But bees will reduce enetrances down, like when they proplise oer mesh in crown boards, or do they also restrict the entrance with their bodies?

Is Everything realy is just for the convience of the beekeeper?

 

[Midland Beek]

I am not aware of any instance when bees increase the size of the entrance on a feral colony?

Bees will increase the size of their entrance hole. Assuming they aren't in a home made out of steel.

Likewise, they can also reduce the size of their entrance hole with propolis.

 

[tonybloke]

But the entrance size is irrelevant if you have open mesh floors?

I have solid floors.

 

[Bcrazy]

So do I and I find they are better for all round beekeeping.

 

[Hivemaker.]

So do i,and i believe they are much better,but i believe its good to have a few mesh floors.

 

[Frisbee]

So why do you two believe solid floors to be better?

As a relatively new beek, I have no experience of solid floors so would welcome your opinions

Frisbee

 

[grizzly]

Bees will increase the size of their entrance hole. Assuming they aren't in a home made out of steel.

I left an entrance block in far too long last year and the bees had chewed it to try an widen the hole.

 

[wilderness]

I made an entrance block (that's another thread) but cut it too short for the hole . The bees seem to prefer the gap at the end rather than the beautifully made entrance hole

 

[Poly Hive]

Ok here.

I observed at Craibstone the experiment they did there when it was running as a Scientific establishment.

That was to increase the floor ventilation in combination with over crown board insulation.

Note this was in Aberdeenshire, not famous for mild winters or very hot summers.

The over all finding was that bees wintered better on ventilated floors.

Poly hives of course have ventilated floors.

PH

 

[Hivemaker.]

Fris
i like them because the bee's seem to build up faster in spring,plus i dislike the wind blowing up into the hives, and from my own point the sloping solid floors are fast to build and stick a lot of hard wear.I see no benefit in mesh floors except for testing of the mite treatments to see that they are effective.

 

[MrB]

How about using an OMF with the tray left in ?

 

[BKF Admin]

I made an entrance block (that's another thread) but cut it too short for the hole . The bees seem to prefer the gap at the end rather than the beautifully made entrance hole

Thats an intersting point,why do we have an entrance in the centre of the hive when bees seem to prefere to use an end.

 

[Hivemaker.]

How about using an OMF with the tray left in ?

I do, in all of them.

 

[Rosti]

I am on mesh floors and have seen no problems with condensation or the like over winter, even with no top vents open and seem to be getting as good a build up as others posting here. I think it was RAB who suggested that side walls below the floor was a good idea to reduce wind turbulence and possible cooling (my stands are now built to achieve this). But even then our winters are mild compared to some countries and I understood condensation to be the bigger killer than cold?

The issue I have with mesh floors is mite drop - or the lack of it. Even accepting an argument about slower build up or any other claimed OMF disadvantage are any of those more significant than sustaining a higher varroa population? Alternative views much appreciated. I am about to purchase another couple of floors.

The one place I have used my old solid floors is for my bait hives.

 

[MrB]

I do, in all of them.

All year round?

 

[Hivemaker.]

Yes Mr B.

 

[Bcrazy]

I have my floors in all year round and i'll explain why later. I have OMF on my Langstroths.

 

[victor meldrew]

How about using an OMF with the tray left in ?

Ok but check regularly for evidence of wax moth !!.
Perfect breeding ground for them as bees don't have access
Plenty of used/chewed wax to feed on .

John Wilkinson