how big of entrace should I leave for the winter? I put the reducer on that has a notch cut out of probably 3/8" ( about half the reducer) by 1/2" long. is that too small?
That seems about right to me.
Watch out for icing shut, something not mentioned much on these boards.
Heat from the hive will generally melt snow.
Another easy method is to cut you a board about 3/4 in. too short and leave a opening about 3/8 in. on each end, that leaves 2 entrances
Do you have a upper entrance ?
Every body do it your own way.
Bee-Bop
no upper entrance. concern was if that small of an entrace would allow proper ventilation
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What is your bottom board? Mesh or solid?
If it is solid, you need an upper entrance.
If it is mesh, the entrance may be samlla and no upper entrance.
Finski, please forgive my confusion...
I have solid bottom boards so have shimmed all my inner covers for better ventilation. Does that space actually need to be used by the bees as an entrance? Or is it that the required space for the ventilation just happens to be big enough for a bee to fit through, in which case I need to increase some of my shims.
the hives are from Better bee. hive stand, varroa screen which is blocked off, two hive bodies, inner cover, outer cover. I only have that small entrance open. should I shim the outer cover or shiim the inner cover up a small amount? If so how much. I'm on west shore of Lake Michigan at the 42nd parallel so it does get cold
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You really have half an inch entrance?
I have in winter 4 inch long entrance in bottom board. Futrher more I have at the ends of reducer a bee size hole, where consended water or rainwater may come out.
Bigger entrance in winter is often recommenced because dead bees during winter and ice stuck the opening. Sometimes bees cannot come out when dead bees are in front of opening.
Put the hive slant towards a bit that water from solid floor come out. It may be quite much ice and snow from respiration when you have low out temperature like -10C / -20C or more. During low temperatures an upper entrance will be stucked with respiration ice crystals but that is only normal. When temp rises, the ice and snow will be melted and goes to the floor.
10 mm opening in upper entrance is enough. Make a hole in front wall or vertical hole in the upper edge of front wall. Round entrance is better.
It should be so big that bees use it as normal entrance. Otherwise bees stuck small holes with resins.
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Also another thing;
I believe every bee catalog is " Wrong " they all show the slot facing the bottom board !
I think the slot should be turned up, that way their would be a 3/8 in. space for dead bees, ice etc to build up with out blocking the opening !
I've been called out on this before, so go ahead I'm ready ! :evil:
Bee-Bop
So you believe that the dead bees should build up on the bottom board?
I'm not saying at all they should, only that they will, because in freezing weather they will be there anyway, they aren't going to break cluster to carry their dead out.
When it warms up they can do their burial rites.
Now according to M.Bush who uses no bottom opening at all, he states I believe that the bees carry their dead to the top hive box opening, surely they could manage a 3/8 in.height
It just seems to me that it is very possible dead bees could block a 3/8 in. high opening, especially if it was reduced to 1/2 in. or so in length.
Every one do it their own way.
Bee-Bop
Bee-Bop
bee-bop I had the hole down and then my partner said I was wrong and I should do it your way for that exact reason so I went back and changed it to up. I think I may need to make a biggger opening
Why not cut an entrance reducer that has one 3/8" inch hole up on one end and a 3/8" hole down near the other end? That way you get the best of both worlds! :shock: