Hive Entrance Reducers

[rober]

Who uses entrance reducers? what are the pros & cons??

[Shanevrr]

everyone should when you have a small (new) colony and when its cold.  its helps with heat retention and protection for hive.  gives bees a small area to defend

[Finski]

.
I look from number of ventilators, how big opening should be.
If day is good and there is no ventilating, the opening is too wide.

[ccar2000]

I use reversible solid bottom boards with the 3/8" opening side up. Since the 3/4" standard entrance reducer does not fit into the opening properly it was getting pushed out of the way. So, this year I put a 3/8" shim in the main entrance leaving it about half open. I use an upper entrance between the brood nest and first super too. I leave it open across the whole front.

[Finski]

.
Often I use dry tree twigs as reducer.

[Michael Bush]

It's not a "pro or con" kind of thing.  If you're in the middle of a major flow on a strong hive, it will block traffic.  If you have a struggling hive you don't want robbed it's essential.

[rober]

thanks for the input. i just set up 3 new hives. one has a standard bottom board, one has a screened bottom board, & one is screened with a beetle trap. all are from kellys. i bought the 3 different types to compare & also to have patterns. i am a carpenter & plan to build all of my hives from now on. i have noticed that the bees are congregating at the entrance of one of the hives. not so with the other 2 hives.

[antaro]

On the same subject, how long after introducing a new hive do people get RID of their entrance reducer?

[Shanevrr]

it could be a couple months depending on your hive

[Michael Bush]

When you see a traffic jam...