Under Floor Entrance

[nantmoel]

How many bee keepers here use the underfloor entrance, the type they call 'Hidden Entrance'. What are the benefits of them, do they really keep wasps out?

 

[Wingy]

Not used yet but just made 2 up for this summer. My plan is to increase to 4 hives this year and they will all be in a row. I plan to alternate standard and under floor entrances with different colour landing boards. Main reason will be to prevent drifting. Come wasp season I've made a couple of entrance blocks courtesy of millets plans for my standard entrances.

 

[madasafish]

Half my main hives and 3 out of 4 nucs have them.
No mouseguards. Wasps? None robbed so far in 3 years of use..
Slowly converting rest to under entrance.

 

[Swarm]

All mine are on UFE's and nucs as well. The advantages are a full entrance width with no congestion. No mouse guards required and they definitely work against Wasps despite some claims that they don't. From my experience, Wasps seem confused and I've probably only seen one or two get in over a period of about seven years or so that I've used them. They don't come back out.

I've made a few tweaks to mine over the years, most now have a mesh area of 10" x 9".

 

[charlievictorbravo]

My four hives have underfloor entrances. I like them because I don't need to mess about with mouse guards and I have never had a problem with wasps getting in the hives. They also have the advantage of the monitoring board, when in use, is over 80mm below the OMF.

I'm struggling to think of a disadvantage of a UFE.

CVB

 

[fatshark]

All ... 12+
Disadvantage ... they can get blocked with corpses from a strong hive midwinter. Easily avoided, but I have had it happen.

You can't use a Varrox with them - not sure if that's an advantage or a disadvantage ;-)

 

[Millet]

All ... 12+
Disadvantage ... they can get blocked with corpses from a strong hive midwinter. Easily avoided, but I have had it happen.

You can't use a Varrox with them - not sure if that's an advantage or a disadvantage ;-)

I can and have done several times with good results,just the same as another hive with a standard floor with a tunnel entrance.

 

[fatshark]

Maybe we're discussing different floors then ... I thought the UFE's generally have an L-shaped entrance which you cannot slide the Varrox through.

 

[user 6228]

The underfloor entrance increases the vertical distance from the bee occupied space to outside air. This is significant in the better insulated hives. This increased distance means that more heat can be accumulated in the nest, rather than spill out through the entrance and the varroa tray opening.
If you are using an underfloor entrance it makes sense to make the varroa tray opening lower than the entrance.

 

[Millet]

Maybe we're discussing different floors then ... I thought the UFE's generally have an L-shaped entrance which you cannot slide the Varrox through.

I understand where you are coming from now now , i vape under the open mesh floor from the back of the hive using my home made inspection trays with a removable slot.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Half mine are.
All the nucs have UFE on the long side, so I have turned the boxes round to enable me to work them warm way.

No mouse guard, no wasp protection needed. You get an inbuilt landing board

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Maybe we're discussing different floors then ... I thought the UFE's generally have an L-shaped entrance which you cannot slide the Varrox through.

Steel plate instead of inspection board, varrox inserted from the rear under the OMF, sealed with a chunk of foam - works a treat.

Have them on all my hives - no wasp issues, not even when the apiary was inundated with wasps.

 

[philipm]

All mine now on bottom entries made a few up last year.Definately won't be going back to the old floors.

 

[linoleum bonypart]

Yes my rear entrance sealed by a chunk of foam

 

[Millet]

Yes my rear entrance sealed by a chunk of foam

and description not

 

[Newbeeneil]

All mine are UFE now.... very pleased with the results and the bees have no trouble defending against wasps and of course mice can't get through the 8mm gap.

I keep tweeking the design slightly every time I make a new one so I have about 6 different designs now . I'll get it perfect by the time I become a good beekeeper! ......
Sometime in the next twenty years................

 

[fatshark]

I understand where you are coming from now now , i vape under the open mesh floor from the back of the hive using my home made inspection trays with a removable slot.

I rest my case m'lud.

You can use a Varrox with an OMF but not via the entrance.

You also cannot use a Sublimox via the underfloor entrance as the majority of the Api-Bioxal ends up stuck onto the back wall of the vertical slot.

Been there, tried that.

A final advantage ... an L-shaped piece of wood (two 9mm softwood strips nailed together) makes a far simpler entrance block than foam. You can slide it in place in a second and screw it to the edges/side runners of the floor during travelling.

 

[Newbeeneil]

A final advantage ... an L-shaped piece of wood (two 9mm softwood strips nailed together) makes a far simpler entrance block than foam. You can slide it in place in a second and screw it to the edges/side runners of the floor during travelling.

[/QUOTE]

Brilliant idea! I'll be in my shed this afternoon knocking up a few!

 

[Swarm]

With an UFE, a block of wood fits into the lobby space, simples.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

With an UFE, a block of wood fits into the lobby space, simples.

or a block of furniture foam, easy