Dimension Of Hive entrance reducer?

[jdesq]

I was planning on making some wood entrance reducers in my shop tonight and realized that I don't have one laying around to get measurements off of. Can anyone please post the length and height of one? Also about how wide and high is the actual winter access on one? thanks alot!

[Kathyp]

you don't have to get fancy.  sometimes i just use a piece of wood that laying around.  my winter entrance is about an inch.  anything that fits across the front of the hive and closes up most of it will be ok.  the ones i have purchase have a small opening and a larger one.  the large opening is probably 2 1/2 to  3 inches across.

[daniel]

 I have had problems with mice so I make my reducers.  I use thin material like plywood and cut a series of 3/8 square notches in it. It seems to work well for me and is cheap  Dan

[Michael Bush]

A popular reducer around here is to take three four inch long pieces of lath (3/8" by 1 1/2") and a piece of 3/8" plywood that is 14 3/4" by 4" and nail the lath at both ends and the middle of this plywood piece.  This goes on the deep side of a reversible bottom board.  It makes the entrance only 3/8" which, according to proponents keeps out the mice and the four inch baffle it makes keeps the wind from coming in so badly.  It gives some of the effect of the slatted rack which also usually has this four inch baffle at the front.