Ready for winter?

[Donovan J]

Its October now and a week into fall and its already starting to feel like winter. Its snowing in the mountains and this is the earliest I've ever seen it start to snow in the mountains. The morning temps are in the 40s and the daytime temps only getting up to the 50s. Do i start to configure the hives for winter? I srill need to buy some Vivaldi boards and a few more entrance reducers but is it too early?

[Michael Bush]

It's never too early to reduce entrances.  Mine are reduced 365 days a year...

[BeeMaster2]

Same here.
Jim Altmiller

[cao]

Ditto.

[incognito]

When do you remove screened bottom boards?

[Donovan J]

It's never too early to reduce entrances.  Mine are reduced 365 days a year...

Okay will buy some this weekend.

[Michael Bush]

>When do you remove screened bottom boards?

I don't remove them.  I leave them blocked 365 days a year...

[Nock]

What width are y?all using? 

[van from Arkansas]

Nock, I run full open entrance from June to August.  I want the air flowing in the hives so the bees can remove the moisture from the nectar which is about 80% water.  Also I like my honey at 16.5%, which is difficult in this humid area....  takes a lot of air flow. I also open upper hive vents in June for same reason.  Most beeks do not live in an area with as much humidity as my area which is similar to being in the coast as far as humidity is concerned.

So what is the humidity in your area: high, med, low, or single digits as in Montana where I used to live.  North Arkansas is like 60-80% daily fluctuates with the temp.
I run screened bottom boards all year, tight, Freeman SBB.  There are pricy $40 but you get what you pay for, a well built TIGHT SBB.  If you have a shop, you can build yourself and save $$$.  Dadant? MannLake SBB are very loose, lots of air flowing which is a pain if you treat OAV.

Blessings
Van

[cao]

What width are y?all using? 

My entrances vary from 4" to about 1 1/2" long.

[Michael Bush]

My entrances are 3/8" tall and 2 1/4" wide and on the top.

http://www.bushfarms.com/images/ReducedEntrance2Medium.jpg

[Nock]

What I?m running right now are 4?. Just wondering if I should go smaller for winter?  What works well for mouse guards?  What size holes can bees get through fine that a mouse can?t? 

[Michael Bush]

> Just wondering if I should go smaller for winter?

I would go smaller all the time...

[Nock]

> Just wondering if I should go smaller for winter?

I would go smaller all the time...

Do you run the 2.250? year around?  What for mice?  Thanks

[van from Arkansas]

In winter I use the 3/4inch, ya know the standard wood piece sold by all bee supply businesses.  The board has two options: 3/4 inch and 4 inch.  One simply rotates the board for the desired opening.  I don?t have a mouse problem in Arkansas, they are few and far between,,,,, many chicken snakes, cats, foxes, even these huge lizards, etc keep the mouse population down.

In Lewistown, Montana, grain country, the mice were everywhere.  Never seen so many mice.  Place a piece of plywood anywhere in the alfalfa and overnight there would be a mouse den/nest built.  Contrary to Arkansas where I have seen one mouse the past 9 years.  So I don?t place mouse guards on my hives,,,, hives strapped for bear, all year, definitely!!!

Van

[Michael Bush]

>Do you run the 2.250? year around?

Yes.

>What for mice?

Mice are not an issue with a top entrance.

When I had bottom entrances I put on 1/4" hardware cloth for a mouse guard.