Warre entrance size 8mm high ok ?

[charentejohn]

I have a ventilated floor which has an 8mm high entrance. This is 30cm wide and 25mm deep as per standard warre.

Any thoughts on this height. I know a lot are higher, I am not thinking of anti mouse etc or ventilation just for ease of use by the bees. I assume this is ok as that is how the floor came but if I need to raise it a few mm then I may as well do it sooner rather than later.

This would be this size all year round only reducing the width in case of problems.

 

[drex]

8 MM. high is perfectly OK. Mine is narrowed down width ways to about 3cm at present due to wasps and the bees are happy.

 

[charentejohn]

Thanks, nice to have it confirmed as reasonable. Setting the hives up for next year and just wanted to be sure.
Some info I found considerd it best to allow two bees to pass one above the other, which sounds reasonable. I am sure they will be happy enough side by side though

I did think the 8mm high 25mm deep entrance dimensions would discourage undesirables as a tight space to be caught in. The overall area should allow free passage on busy days.

 

[Karol]

One bee height high x 25mm wide x 100mm long to form a tunnel entrance. If the entrance is only as deep as the hive wall (nominally 12mm) it can only be defended by one row of bees which makes it easier for wasps to get in. During periods of high flow you can make the entrance a little bit wider to allow greater traffic and so long as the height and length are maintained the bees will still be able to defend the entrance with multiple rows of guard bees.

 

[charentejohn]

Thanks Karol, just to claify though. One bee high is within the 8mm height, I think the 'standard' bee is 5mm ?
My walls are 25mm deep so that sounds ok, I can reduce the width to 100mm as needed if problems arise.

Good to point out the defence aspect. Sounds like the entrance is fine for full flow foraging but will need to have the width reduced if wasps (or asian hornets here) appear.

The entrance is plit into 4 sections by thin vertical plastic dividers, basically making 4 x 7.5cm wide entrances. Wonder if it is worth removing them so it doesen't make separate sections. This is a happykeeper floor and all plastic including the landing board. I have already modified it by adding a wooden section to extend the landing area.

 

[Karol]

8mm is effectively one bee height.

To be clear, the depth of your wall is the length of your 'tunnel', i.e. 25mm. At 25mm I would suggest it is still too short and would be better at 100mm, i.e. about 6-7 bee lengths.

The width of the entrance I suggest shouldn't be more than 25mm, i.e. 5 bee widths whilst you have a noticeable wasp problem. 100mm wide is too wide to protect during a wasp onslaught.

 

[oxnatbees]

8mm is effectively one bee height.

Before you settle on this... mouse guards use 8mm diameter holes. You need to take them off in spring because drones can't get through them and their rotting corpses pile up in the hive.

I don't know if this would apply in this case, because you are not limiting the lateral width. Then again, if drones can get out, mice can probably get in in winter, you will still need mouse guards.

 

[MuswellMetro]

if you buy thornes mouseguards they are 10mm

https://www.thorne.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=1739

 

[user 6228]

One bee height high x 25mm wide x 100mm long to form a tunnel entrance. If the entrance is only as deep as the hive wall (nominally 12mm) it can only be defended by one row of bees which makes it easier for wasps to get in. During periods of high flow you can make the entrance a little bit wider to allow greater traffic and so long as the height and length are maintained the bees will still be able to defend the entrance with multiple rows of guard bees.

While at Apimondia I saw an infra red video of wasps entering a hive through a tunnel entrance. It was claimed that the tunnel entrance also modified the wasps behaviour, making it more distressed/ alarmed and more likely to be attacked by the bees. Regardless if this true it does reinforce the concept that there are two sets of specie reaction to surroundings to be considered and they may not be simple.