no bees coming out the lower entance?

Leftystrat · April 02, 2015, 04:36:06 PM

As spring started; I had bee activity out of my upper entrance only. I scraped out the dead bees from the lower entrance in case they were blocked from using the lower. I took off the the spacer that made the upper entrance and put the inner cover and outer cover on. the bees are still not using the lower entrace and are trying to get in under the outer cover only. Before I covered it, I looked in and there was a small cluster of bees at the very top of the hive. could these just be other bees robbing the remains of a dead hive? I put an entance feeder with 1:1 syrup and nothing yet. any thoughts?

ziffabeek · April 02, 2015, 06:18:05 PM

One of my hives did the same thing and just started using the top entrance when they 'emerged' this spring. I figured it was because of the Mountain Camp sugar on the inner lid and the fact that the cluster had moved into the top box they just got used to using it. I've inspected them and switched boxes and they are still favoring the top entrance. I guess if that's where they start orienting, it kind of carries on from generation to generation.

Can your bees get in through the top now or have you blocked it? Is there any reason why you don't want them to use the top entrance?

love,
ziffa

Leftystrat · April 02, 2015, 08:38:48 PM

I always thought the small upper was for winter ventilation and in spring it comes off and they use the usual lower..

CBEE · April 03, 2015, 08:52:48 AM

when you say small cluster just how small is it ?
do you see the queen ?
Robbers will rip open the capped honey and the wax will be all over the bottom board and they are usually all over the place not in a tight cluster..
robber bees do not bring in pollen.. any pollen coming in?

rwlaw · April 04, 2015, 08:29:34 AM

All hives are different, I use 1" holes in the boxes just below the handholds, most hives use the holes exclusively till they get stronger and the brood moves downward, there'll be guard bees at the entrance, a couple it's vice versa.
My concern is your description of the small cluster of bees at the top. If this is the brood cluster, there won't be any guard bees at the entrance to guard the boardman feeder and you will get robbing PDQ, if it were me I would restore the upper entrance and severly restrict the bottom entrance and see what goes on after that. It's possible the hive is already getting robbed and they've circled the wagons at the last place to defend.

CapnChkn · April 04, 2015, 09:22:02 AM

I always have a 3/4 x 1/4 in (19 x 6 mm) opening at the back inner cover that stays open year round. Usually the bees ignore it and use the bottom entrance, but this year they have been using the vent hole.

Because of my current, cramped, situation, I've had the front of the hive blocked by a huge cage full of leaves. The sunshine hits the front around noon, and the back entrance gets full sun a few hours later. I realized the front, which faces south-east, was getting sun while it was still too cold for them to break cluster, and the top entrance was bright when the sun had warmed the hive for a little while.

Right now the back is still the favourite, but the wider front entrance is getting better use. It's been warm enough for them to start brooding for about 3 weeks.

rookie2531 · April 04, 2015, 09:21:48 PM

All mine are using top winter vent. It got below freezing one night, so I pushed in a piece of foam board in it to close it off. When I went to check on them, they had it chewed out and back to using top entrance only. Even though every box has brood. They are just using the top. They are very strong though.

hilltophermit · April 08, 2015, 08:48:50 AM

My experience is that this is a normal spring activity. I attribute it to the fact that the cluster moves up during the winter and is at the top when the weather becomes conducive to flying. Why bother to climb down to fly out the bottom when you don?t have to? This will correct its self when you reverse your brood chambers in may. I have a 5/8 " hole drilled into the upper center of all my deeps. (actually all my supers). This is primarily for ventilation, but I don?t mind if they want to use it as an entrance.....

mdbee · April 09, 2015, 09:49:43 AM

Just close the top vent holes and in a day or two they will be using the bottom, do it when they are all in- right before dark, I just did ten of mine and all I did was push a plug of aluminum foil in it ,I do it every year. If you have a bigger top entrance there is nothing wrong with them using it but mine are small and its a big jam up trying to get in and with a lot of pollen getting knocked off.