Shutting them in and letting them out

[Cadman]

I have a question about closing up a hive. If I close up my hive in the evening, can I open the hive up mid day when I no longer need it closed, or do I need to wait until evening again? When the bees are wanting out and are given the opportunity, are they usually agitated or do the just take off and get to work?

Thanks,
Paul

[BlueBee]

I would say definitely let them out at mid-day. 

They don't like to be trapped in a hive and will start chewing to try to get out.  If you open them up mid day, they should return to normal fairly quickly.  If you wait until dark to open them up, they may stream out and crawl all over the place before eventually crawling back into the hive.  That can be a problem if the weather turns bad.   

[yockey5]

I have a question about closing up a hive. If I close up my hive in the evening, can I open the hive up mid day when I no longer need it closed, or do I need to wait until evening again? When the bees are wanting out and are given the opportunity, are they usually agitated or do the just take off and get to work?

Thanks,
Paul

Why "shut them in"?

[BeeMaster2]

I'm asking the same question.
Jim

[stanisr]

The only time I close a hive is to move it, and I normally open it up early the next morning. I have heard that you can leave them closed up up to 72 hours so they will not return to their original location, but I have never had a problem. I put an obstruction in front of the hive, such as a branch, and turn them loose.

[BlueBee]

Maybe they're spraying pesticides in his area or he's doing some work around the hive?

[Vance G]

If the bees are not really agitated by area activity, they shouldn't mob you when you open them.  If you fear that, it won't hurt them to wait til dark or the cool of the morning.  When you close them up, make sure you do not cut off air flow so they suffer.

[Cadman]

I would only close them for a short time on very few occasions, ie. when I have a contractor doing work near my hives. The work shouldn't be a problem as far as disturbing them and I would make sure they have good ventilation. Once the work is done, I would prefer to open them, but didn't know if being closed in caused them to be more agitated or aggressive. I am not too worried about it if they just want  to get to work.
Thanks for all of the responses.

[Michael Bush]

I would open them anytime you don't have a reason to have them confined.

[rbinhood]

My question is the contractor doing work on the hives or just really close to the hives.  Or is he just a big wuss and afraid of a few little bees.  X_X

[luvin honey]

I found some "screened" tape (I don't know the technical name) with great ventilation ability for shutting mine in during pesticide application near the hives (rented our land out 3 years for alfalfa).

[Intheswamp]

I found some "screened" tape (I don't know the technical name) with great ventilation ability for shutting mine in during pesticide application near the hives (rented our land out 3 years for alfalfa).

lh, you can take a piece of #8 mesh wire that is ~3"/76mm wide and as long as your entrance is wide, gently pinch it into a "U" shape (so that it retains it's "springiness") and press into the entrance.  This creates a screened ventilated area inside the hive that is a good bit larger than the ventilation area created by simply putting a flat piece of screen over the entrance area.  When you're ready to remove it just pinch the edges together and remove.  It works for me, anyhow. ;)

Ed

ETA:  Naturally if you have a round hole entrance or something other than a rectangular entrance hole the wire mesh won't work very well and the tape you mentioned might be just the ticket.  Is there danger of the bees getting stuck to it being as they *will* be pressing against the screening?

[beyondthesidewalks]

On nucs and swarm traps I use the WTK metal disks.  On hives I use a hive closure modeled after one that came on the very first hive I purchased 20 years ago.  I bought it from a man named Bo and his company name was Besharse Honey.  I have pics of one on photobucket but I'm not sure I can post links or pics yet.  I've seen some that are like the robber screens on Michael Bush's website.  I build my own robber screens modeled after those and use the Bo closures so my closures and robber screens look very different.  That way I cannot get the two confused.  I don't like the commercially available closures that have the little metal tabs that make them both a robber screen and a closure.  Too much to go wrong on those.  From time to time I have to close up my hives because of the Texas Boll Weevil Eradication Program.  Those folks spray cotton several times a year.  Most of the time they don't give me warning.  If they do, I like to have a closure for every hive I have.

I'll send another post with a link to my photobucket to see if it works.

[beyondthesidewalks]

Here's a link to my photobucket.

http://s972.photobucket.com/albums/ae204/beyondthesidewalks/BoClosure/

[yockey5]

Cool and looks like an easy project. Gonna make a few for swarm boxes. Thanks.

[Cadman]

Very nice screen cover. Nice and simple. Thanks for the pics.