Whats the best type of hive entrance

[Olivia9801]

Have just made my own and feel I need to modify adjust mine as it is currentlythe width of the hive by approximatley 15mm high.

I was thinking of fitting a metal plate across with either a series of 8 to 9mm holes or just have a lower heighth on the opening by approx 40mm across.

As there seems to be such a choice, what would you recommend?

For your info, I havent obtained the bees as of yet.

Regards

Olivia9801

 

[MuswellMetro]

Have just made my own and feel I need to modify adjust mine as it is currentlythe width of the hive by approximatley 15mm high.

I was thinking of fitting a metal plate across with either a series of 8 to 9mm holes or just have a lower heighth on the opening by approx 40mm across.

As there seems to be such a choice, what would you recommend?

For your info, I havent obtained the bees as of yet.

Regards

Olivia9801

the most common entrances are full width either 18mm or 21mm high which allows a standard 18mm or 21mm entrance block that in used in august against wasps , this restricts the entrance to about 3" wide

a full colony of 50-70,000 bees requires a wide entrance in biuld up period as lots of orientating bees and forages can cause conjestion if not open the full width, though some people keep the entrance block in all year

in winter it is normal to restrict it with a mouseguard

i use a mouse guard in winter and on some hives just a peice of correxx plastic fixed with pins as my restricter rather than an entrance block, o nthose i use entraqnces block, i use it to regulate the opening also by part inserting it on smaller colonies ( so it only block half the width)
google cushman entrance blocks national hive

 

[oliver90owner]

Here is a load for you to consider.

The Dartingtons have a full width slot of 8mm (vertical) and an OMF. A full colony does not need the full width. Feral colonies in walls usually have restricted entry into the brickwork. Managed colonies will hopefully be much larger than most feral colonies.

All my National gear have OMF floors with 22mm high entrances. They are being reduced to 'one bee height' as I get to them and may be reduced in width if wasps are a problem.

The usual National solid floors which were reversible (or turn-overable) had a choice of 22mm or 11mm (7/8 and 7/16 in Imperial) and the narrow side was always plenty for access. I nearly always used them with the 22mm before OMF (I changed to top bee space soon after starting to keep bees) and have made my OMFs with 22mm battens which secure the mesh. Being on top bee space, that suits me - thick enough to be screwed down without deforming or splitting (with countersunk screws) and enough floor to frame space to avoid crushing bees.

Sooo, with OMF the choices are deep and full width, deep and restricted width, or shallow and possibly still retricted at times. It will need to be more than your quoted 40mm, if reduced height; and deeper if you choose to go top bee space (think about that one before you make too much bottom bee space kit).

If I were you I would make some entrance sized battens of different lenth and use whatever you feel they need. I used to have the original blocks (supplied with the floors) and some cut to various lengths for restricting the entrance if needed, I still have a few of the fancy supplied entrance blocks but now only use simple battens.

Regards, RAB

 

[MuswellMetro]

Here is a load for you to consider.

The Dartingtons have a full width slot of 8mm (vertical) and an OMF. A full colony does not need the full width. Feral colonies in walls usually have restricted entry into the brickwork. Managed colonies will hopefully be much larger than most feral colonies.

All my National gear have OMF floors with 22mm high entrances. They are being reduced to 'one bee height' as I get to them and may be reduced in width if wasps are a problem.

The usual National solid floors which were reversible (or turn-overable) had a choice of 22mm or 11mm (7/8 and 7/16 in Imperial) and the narrow side was always plenty for access. I nearly always used them with the 22mm before OMF (I changed to top bee space soon after starting to keep bees) and have made my OMFs with 22mm battens which secure the mesh. Being on top bee space, that suits me - thick enough to be screwed down without deforming or splitting (with countersunk screws) and enough floor to frame space to avoid crushing bees.

Sooo, with OMF the choices are deep and full width, deep and restricted width, or shallow and possibly still retricted at times. It will need to be more than your quoted 40mm, if reduced height; and deeper if you choose to go top bee space (think about that one before you make too much bottom bee space kit).

If I were you I would make some entrance sized battens of different lenth and use whatever you feel they need. I used to have the original blocks (supplied with the floors) and some cut to various lengths for restricting the entrance if needed, I still have a few of the fancy supplied entrance blocks but now only use simple battens.

Regards, RAB

so your battens are a bit like my correx....8mm to 46cm depending how i want it, i tend to keep the entrance at about 20cm except in wasp attacts

i had not picked up the 40mm bit , i read it as 40cm LOL

The hedgcoe hive has very restricted access of 10 single holes that by a slider can be reduced progressivly to one....but it gets a bit manic in full flow

 

[oliver90owner]

Yup, total agreement, different ways of doing it.

Regards, RAB

 

[Poly Hive]

Another one to ponder.

My first Polys had a full width entrance of 8mm high and never a bother did I have with mice. Ran them with the entrance full open all year round.

PH

 

[oliver90owner]

My first Polys had a full width entrance of 8mm high and never a bother did I have with mice. Ran them with the entrance full open all year round.

That is basically how I am converting all my OMFs, but likely less than 8mm.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I use an under floor entrance on mine based on the cewl entrance or such according to hombre no problems with mice, wasps don't seem to like them either, bees have no problems with them.
Here's the link to a thread on them earlier this year (the plans are attached to one of the posts on the third page i think)

 

[Tdf]

Another one to ponder.

My first Polys had a full width entrance of 8mm high and never a bother did I have with mice. Ran them with the entrance full open all year round.

PH

i make my floors the same, saves time putting on and taking off mouseguards and more then enough room in summer

 

[Alabamaeee]

Here's the link to a thread on them earlier this year

No Linky thingy

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

oops!

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=15588

 

[Olivia9801]

Thanks for all of your updates and advice regarding the openings. I have made an opening as per the photogrpah which measures 35mm across and is 120mm wide by 8mm high. As they enter they will be walking directly on the Varroa mesh so the opening will be 8mm on top of this.

Would appreciate your views as I will be obtaining my bees next week.

Regards

Olivia9801

 

[VEG]

looks fine to me

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Nice bit of woodworking!

 

[oliver90owner]

Olivia,

Forget fancy woodwork. If you really want it like that, make the slot opening almost full width of the hive and block off whatever you feel they don't need as experience shows. Normally I would leave full width at that height. knowing I can easily reduce it with a strip of wood just less than 8mm thick.

To get a good fit lengthways, requires the blocks to remain with each hive or some will be loose and some won't quite fit (BTDT).

To seal the hives for transport. I now often use a piece of polystyrene covered in duct tape and wedge shaped, at the ends and one side, so it will jam in all and any standard hive entrance. Better than wood because I can knock one up in minutes from a strip of25 mm sheet of EPS and a sharp knife, and it doesn't warp. As I said entrance is normally open full width in the summer season. That is when well sized blocks get muddled up! I often carried one or two blocks in my car, but over time they get lost.

To keep it simple for most of the time a simple batten, one, say 50mm shorter and another 100mm shorter than the hive opening width would be a good starting point. Easily shortened but more difficult to then extend them!

An alternative block to close the hive for transporting a colony would be a batten just shorter than your narrowest entrance with a piece of ply fixed to it to cover any gaps.

The normal entrance block as supplied by most sources is like yours, but with the slot central to the front of the hive. The bees don't really care where the entrance happens to be.

Fab woodworking. You will have a PM shortly.

RAB

 

[Olivia9801]

Thanks for you replies everyone.

Thats a very good point RAB about keeping the open full width and then using a piece to reduce as and when, because it would be difficult to adjust with a occupying colony!

Will change and expand the opening as soonest! That way I can have total flexibility whereas I dont with the way it is at the moment.

I am learning fast here!!

Thanks again, your help by responding is appreciated.

Regards

 

[barratt_sab]

One more thing to ponder...

If you put your entrance reducer on over the winter, you might consider putting it on the other way up, so the opening is above the floor. The idea is that the bees are less likely to get blocked in by any debris that builds up on the floor of the hive over the winter.

 

[Olivia9801]

Thats an excellent idea regarding overturning the entrance to prevent obstuction. Why didnt I think of that?

Some pictures of entrances would be good.

Many thanks.

 

[barratt_sab]

Why didnt I think of that?

Ha! I didn't think of it either.

I either read it here on the forum on in a book... I can't remember which it was, so if you are reading this and it was your post on the forum, thanks from me too.

 

[jackbee]

One more thing to ponder...

If you put your entrance reducer on over the winter, you might consider putting it on the other way up, so the opening is above the floor. The idea is that the bees are less likely to get blocked in by any debris that builds up on the floor of the hive over the winter.

Wouldn't that stop them removing dead bees etc?