ordered screened bottom board from a different supplier and they do not have a landing board like my others. the new ones use the landing board of the bottom board and then the bees have to crawl up 3/4 inch into the hive. I am thinking of modifying the new ones to have a landing board. Does it matter one way or the other?
Not really. There are no landing boards on trees, or on hives with upper entrances. Try it before modifying them. The bees should be fine.
Grid
Quote from: Grid on April 14, 2011, 02:25:25 PM
Not really. There are no landing boards on trees, or on hives with upper entrances. Try it before modifying them. The bees should be fine.
Grid
the surface of tree trunk acts as landing board.
second thought, it does give more room for snow accumulation and the way this spring is going it may be needed before long
Quote from: Finski on April 14, 2011, 02:43:27 PM
the surface of tree trunk acts as landing board.
Never thought of that. Makes sense, unless the tree has smooth bark. Then it is the same as landing on the hive stand, the face of the bottom board below the entrance, the side of the hive above the entrance, landing right in the entrance... :) Last I looked my bees are pretty good at flying and landing.
I think this is one of those issues that people just don't agree on. At least that is what I found with a quick search. I guess I'm in the "No landing boards required" camp, and am actually going to remove the ones I have to avoid snow accumulation blocking the lower entrance in winter/spring.
Grid.
I have a wild hive that lives in the wall of my woodshed/garage. The wall is hollow, they have been there for years and they use a knothole in the wall as the opening. no landing strip there.
I cut all of the landing boards off of all of my bottom boards. The mice don't need help. The bees don't need help.