Underfloor entrances difficult to exit

[Parsonage Bees]

Anyone else noticed their bees doing a sort of forward roll when exiting through an underfloor entrance?

They end up briefly on their backs. Maybe they will get the hang of it. Been on these entrances all winter. Maybe my bees are remarkably dim.

. . . . Ben

 

[madasafish]

Not seen any issues here with U'F enrances..

Maybe acrobatic bees?

Sorry: I'll get my coat.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Anyone else noticed their bees doing a sort of forward roll when exiting through an underfloor entrance?

They end up briefly on their backs. Maybe they will get the hang of it. Been on these entrances all winter. Maybe my bees are remarkably dim.

. . . . Ben

Yes
I don’t think it does them any harm.

 

[Parsonage Bees]

Yes
I don’t think it does them any harm.

Agreed. Over-protective Dad here. Looks undignified.

Saw this design. Ignoring the painted landing board, they'd get themselves the right way up before hitting the grass.

Loads of time but no timber in the shed to try it out.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Agreed. Over-protective Dad here. Looks undignified.

Saw this design. Ignoring the painted landing board, they'd get themselves the right way up before hitting the grass.

Loads of time but no timber in the shed to try it out.

My porches are long and deep. The bees are on their feet in no time.

 

[Parsonage Bees]

My porches are long and deep. The bees are on their feet in no time.

Mine go up just behind the front panel of the brood box. Maybe a deeper darker porch would be better.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

you need the entrance to be about three inches back (between frames 2 and 3 if you are using 'cold' way. Yes, they sometimes take a backflip when exiting, especially during a flow, but no harm done

 

[Parsonage Bees]

you need the entrance to be about three inches back (between frames 2 and 3 if you are using 'cold' way. Yes, they sometimes take a backflip when exiting, especially during a flow, but no harm done

Yes. I did make my own ?improvements? on your design. Unwise.

 

[Popparand]

Agreed. Over-protective Dad here. Looks undignified.

Saw this design. Ignoring the painted landing board, they'd get themselves the right way up before hitting the grass.

Loads of time but no timber in the shed to try it out.

Like the idea of putting the hive number on the front so the bees know which one to go home to. I put the numbers on the back so I can check without going in front.

 

[user 819]

Changed one colony over this morning and they took to the UFE pretty quickly,
I have incorporated an inclined landing board set back 1" from the front using a bit of correx. Three 2" oval nails nailed in to the set back front rail and aligned with correx slots and the correx slots simply over them.

 

[madasafish]

you need the entrance to be about three inches back (between frames 2 and 3 if you are using 'cold' way. Yes, they sometimes take a backflip when exiting, especially during a flow, but no harm done

That explains why I never see it. Mine are a little deeper than that...

 

[Parsonage Bees]

Like the idea of putting the hive number on the front so the bees know which one to go home to. I put the numbers on the back so I can check without going in front.

If you want to strengthen another hive you just have to scribble out the number and write a new one on the front and the foragers will head into another box. Simples.

 

[Popparand]

If you want to strengthen another hive you just have to scribble out the number and write a new one on the front and the foragers will head into another box. Simples.

Must make Bailey frame changes a lot simpler as well

 

[B+.]

you need the entrance to be about three inches back (between frames 2 and 3 if you are using 'cold' way. Yes, they sometimes take a backflip when exiting, especially during a flow, but no harm done

Unfortunately, this could be a problem for anyone doing natural mite drop counts.
The OMF has to extend over the whole brood box in case the colony is at the front (not a problem if they're at the back). Any varroa falling would land on the recessed piece of wood.
Other than that, I think it's a very good design. I have problems with wasps in late July/August and this could have been a nice solution.

 

[Millet]

Anyone else noticed their bees doing a sort of forward roll when exiting through an underfloor entrance?

They end up briefly on their backs. Maybe they will get the hang of it. Been on these entrances all winter. Maybe my bees are remarkably dim.

. . . . Ben

I made four of them floors that are in the garage in case of emergencies..i stopped using them for the above reason which is made worse if rain has got onto the porch entrance causing bees to be stuck upside down by there wings.

 

[Parsonage Bees]

I made four of them floors that are in the garage in case of emergencies..i stopped using them for the above reason which is made worse if rain has got onto the porch entrance causing bees to be stuck upside down by there wings.

Not seen this but never had this amount of time before. I like them. No worry about mice or wasps getting in. Not worried by the 30mm? strip along the front where you would miss any varroa drop (with my design). The floor of my entrance slopes down from the back and sheds water. More complicated to make.

You could raise the floor of the entrance to stop them launching into the air too far back but then maybe a risk of entrance being blocked by die-off over the winter. ?

Thinking of adding a 'snorkel' or hood or porch on the front with a pollen screen. Trough underneath to collect the pellets. Might have enough wood for that.

 

[Parsonage Bees]

Sloped landing board.

 

[Amari]

I modified JBM's design of UFE by adding an eke above the OMF. It has a rear entrance. Thus in winter I can open this entrance and check for dead bees and sweep them out. An excess of dead bees could theoretically block the exit slot at the front of the floor of the standard design, especially if the slot is shortened as in my modification

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

An excess of dead bees could theoretically block the exit slot at the front of the floor of the standard design,

Doubtful never seen it happen even when I've seen a carpet of dead bees inside.
This bloke called Newton discovered (during a lockdown like we're experiencing now apparently) a strange phenomenon which means that things usually keep on falling until they reack the floor (a few inches below the entrance slot
However, on a standard entrance it is very easy for dead bees to pile up in front of the entrance.

 

[Swarm]

I think people are worrying over nothing, it doesn't matter what type of entrance, there will be pile ups, falling bees, bumping bees, they don't seem to mind.