Bees Made Their Own Entrance

The15thMember · July 29, 2023, 08:20:41 PM

One of my hives has a slatted rack on that has a little rotten spot on the side, very close to the front of the hive, which over the course of this season, developed into a small hole. I noticed a week or two ago that the bees had started chewing away at the wood, and one or two were coming out of the hive there, and today when I looked at it, it was much bigger. It's now maybe an inch and a half by an inch, and the bees are sitting in there chewing on the wood. Is there anything wrong with just letting them use this spot as their entrance? It's about the same size as the smallest opening on an entrance reducer. I could just turn their reducer sideways, blocking the whole landing board and let this be the entrance, and the cinder block below would serve as a landing pad essentially. Or, will they continue to chew away at the wood until it's structurally unsound, and should I close it up with tape or something? If I do, will they just open it again?

Kathyp · July 30, 2023, 12:32:53 AM

It's fine. I had a hive that used an open knot hole and never used the front entrance. Changing it will just be a pain. Block the others so they don't have to defend more than one opening.

cao · July 30, 2023, 11:29:39 AM

I have had a couple hives start using the gap between boxes. The chewed the top of the box where the frame rest is. The only downside was that the also started chewing on the ends of the frames. Wore them down pretty good.

Ben Framed · July 30, 2023, 12:23:06 PM

I don't see a problem except for the rotting of the wood. I have had a knot hole area lose its knot as Kathy described. I did not even close the main entrance. I did find that when inspecting, the knot hole was a extra place for the bees to come and get me from when I would forget about the knot hole and particularly block with my body. lol.

Phillip

The15thMember · July 30, 2023, 01:04:13 PM

Quote from: Ben Framed on July 30, 2023, 12:23:06 PM
I don't see a problem except for the rotting of the wood.

I'll need to investigate a little deeper and see how big the soft spot actually is. I'm assuming they may keep chewing on it, regardless of whether I close it up or not. If the rotten spot extends to the corner, it may make the hive structurally unsound.

Ben Framed · July 30, 2023, 01:46:18 PM

Yes good idea..

Beelab · August 03, 2023, 10:03:03 AM

I have a couple of colonies that chewed out a hole into the super, above the queen excluder. It?s fine, just a small hole they use as an extra entrance.
Also have a few hives that chewed the box above the entrance, providing a larger entry.
Those bees are excellent carpenters.