Under floor entrance plans

[victor meldrew]

I only take the brood box off the floor once a year - in spring to shake any rubbish out - they manage to keep it spotess themselves for the rest of the year, my feeling is with the floor being sunken and with a 9mm step to lift any debris out to chuck out the entrance they might find it harder to keep clean.
Don't worry Victor finny is irreplaceable, in fact he's a treasure (please, noone suggest he be locked in an an iron bound chest and buried on an uncharted desert island! )

Likewise I only lift brood boxes when necessary!
Each hive stand is on a flag stone , debris is posted through the mesh floor , it's clearly evident where the cluster is in the hive !also when and which frames of stores are being uncapped.
VM


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[jenkinsbrynmair]

If you drop the floor 9mm lower would that not encourage the bees to build brace comb under the frame bottom bar ?

There is that possibility as tom bick discussed in post#5 just a bee space is fine IMHO although there is that factor of room do draw swarm cells. When i'm transferring a colony from a nuc to a full brood i have to clean all the bottom frames as they brace comb will sit against the OMF sometimes to the extent the frames don't rest on the runners

 

[Swarm]

Standard OMF's are at least the depth of a standard entrance block below the frames, couldn't a similar set up work with one of these? Sorry haven't studied the plan.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Standard OMF's are at least the depth of a standard entrance block below the frames, couldn't a similar set up work with one of these? Sorry haven't studied the plan.

Yes, just put a lath beading all around to raise the brood box by the required amount

 

[Erichalfbee]

Standard OMF's are at least the depth of a standard entrance block below the frames, couldn't a similar set up work with one of these? Sorry haven't studied the plan.

This is the way mine are for the simple reason that husband altered standard floors for me

 

[BeeJayBee]

If you drop the floor 9mm lower would that not encourage the bees to build brace comb under the frame bottom bar ?

You need a greater depth than that if using top bee space.

 

[derekm]

We use (in the 2 hives not like the avatar) a vertical landing board made out of plastic mesh. The vertical passage is not just a board thick ness but a slot 150mm long.
This means that bees can fly directly (downwards) out from the warm floor level. The house keeping bees can be warm and just kick detritus over the edge to drop all the way to the ground.

 

[Dave /Oscroft]

A carpenter would have got it straight away, but joiners.................

Who said " a joiner is like a plumber with his brains bashed out" !!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm off to get some 4" x 1.5 " etc !! I get it now !

Dave W

 

[victor meldrew]

Or an electrician who's lost his spark?
VM


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[drstitson]

"If you drop the floor 9mm lower would that not encourage the bees to build brace comb under the frame bottom bar ?"

take at look at the german high floors if worried about >1 beespace!!!!

(search for the terms "hoher gitterboden beute" in google images)

 

[Dave /Oscroft]

floors

I've just made a couple of under entry floors up this morning, bar for the verroa mesh, I was thinking of adding a 2" x 1" timber piece to give more space at the bottom between the frames and the mesh. I think it gives the bees more parking space in bad weather. I'm sure I've read somewhere that this area is the only area to deviate from the 8mm bee space.
I'm going to make up some more over the next few days and convert all my hives to this system at floor change time next March. There cheap to make and keeps everything standard. I don't suppose it makes any difference whether the frames go warm way or cold way either does it.

Dave W

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I've just made a couple of under entry floors up this morning, bar for the verroa mesh, I was thinking of adding a 2" x 1" timber piece to give more space at the bottom between the frames and the mesh. I think it gives the bees more parking space in bad weather. I'm sure I've read somewhere that this area is the only area to deviate from the 8mm bee space.
I'm going to make up some more over the next few days and convert all my hives to this system at floor change time next March. There cheap to make and keeps everything standard. I don't suppose it makes any difference whether the frames go warm way or cold way either does it.

Dave W

Another convert!
No problem with adding extra beespacer at the bottom - although they will build a little brace comb downwards - Cold way or warm way, doesn't matter - i prefer cold way as i think it gives them better access to the comb.

 

[MJBee]

A number of years ago I bought some very second hand Nationals and they came with what the retiring beek called "heather floors" (Northumberland)

Similar to your design JBM the differences are:-

a. There is a slope up to the internal entrance.
b. The entrance slot is 25m Wide and there are 25 x 15mm holes in both side. This allows a piece of wood 25 x 15 x 460mm to slide in and restrict/fully close he hive. The holes can be covered with slides when not in use.

The above mods mean the hive is not mouse proof but very easy to close up for moving. When I got them they were solid floors, I have since changed them to 75% OMF.

 

[Luminos]

25m entrance slot, wow, that's a big hive?

 

[MJBee]

Didn'thave my proof reading specs on

How about: 25m divided by 1000

 

[Dave /Oscroft]

under entrance

Ive made five now, five more and a few to spare to go over the winter.

I like a project.

Now what was that hexagonal bee hive ive just seen on another post!

Dave W

 

[Dave /Oscroft]

Under entrance + hornet trap

Jenks,
Ive made up and treated all the under entrances now, at the time of floor change i'll be putting them in place. Having just seen the vita hornet trap i'm wondering whether this could be incorporated in the design. It seems easy enough, just construct a drawer section and a few holes in the side with some sort of cone that traps them inside. We may not need to worry unduly about hornets at the mo but wasps can be a major problem.
I'll put my mind to it when i get a minute, as the beekeeping season is fast approaching.

Dave W

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Having just seen the vita hornet trap i'm wondering whether this could be incorporated in the design.

Funnily enough - been discussing that very thing with a few people - might have to look at it in some detail on my return to Africa - might even be a business opportunity - could sell them alongside my tortoiseshell bee combs, neonic masks and my newly developed bee backscratcher (just to add competition to the 'bee gym'

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

We may not need to worry unduly about hornets at the mo but wasps can be a major problem.
Dave W

You'll find wasps will be less of a problem with these floors Dave

 

[3bees]

I (my husband will do the difficult bits) am interested in trying this out. Unfortunately I am unable to download any of the word docs, pdf's or pictures associated with this old thread.

Can anyone help?

Many Thanks