When to close bottom entrance for winter?

sweet bee · November 18, 2011, 07:08:25 PM

Right now in South Georgia overnight temps are in the 50's and daytime temps are in the 70-80's. When should I close the lower entrance for the winter?

Thank you,
Angie

Michael Bush · November 18, 2011, 09:15:57 PM

My worry would be if you close it and they are used to it and it's cold (50F or below), they may not have time to find the new entrance before they get paralyzed by the cold. I would have closed it last spring... now I would put mouse guards (1/4" hardware cloth works well) on and leave it.

sweet bee · November 18, 2011, 10:30:14 PM

Thank you Michael :)

Angie~

kingbee · November 19, 2011, 12:46:36 AM

Quote from: sweet bee on November 18, 2011, 07:08:25 PM... in South Georgia overnight temps

are in the 50's ...When should I close the lower entrance ...?

I think Michael means before 2 feet or more of show accumulates and you don't expect it to melt before March or April. :-D

But since beekeeping is a localized undertaking, and seeing that your location is the town of Cairo in South 'Gawja' and Y'all only 'bout' twenty miles 'nawth' of the Florida line, If you have taken steps to exclude mice, and shrews or perhaps small garter shakes from you hives, my answer would bee never, but by all means do what you wish.

Y'all really get that much snow down there and do y'all pronounce the name of your town like we pronounce the same local place name here, IOW "K-row?"

T Beek · November 23, 2011, 10:54:26 AM

I leave the bottom open to their smallest size, along w/ a small top entrance. IMO It allows the undertakers to remove the dead w/out having to climb through the broodnest.

Of course, unlike many beeks my bees are easily accessable throughout winter so removing snow from entries is of little concern to me. That said, we've had snow cover my entire hives overnight in the past and if its very cold (below zero) I'll leave it till the next warm up as added insulation. Sometimes they've already made little tunnels to the outside before I can even get to them, outstanding effort to say the least 8-).

thomas

BeeMaster2 · November 23, 2011, 01:11:07 PM

I live pretty close to you Sweet Bee. I put mouse guards on my hives last year but down here the weather never really stays cold enough to keep the bees balled up. Any mouse that gets in during a cold night is in for a rude supprise when the sun starts warming up the box in the morning. I will ask some of our older Beeks in the club if they use mouse guards here.
Jim

Finski · November 24, 2011, 10:13:32 PM

Quote from: sweet bee on November 18, 2011, 07:08:25 PMWhen should I close the lower entrance for the winter?

there is no such beekeeping habit like to "close the main entrance" over winter.

BeeMaster2 · November 24, 2011, 10:41:47 PM

Quote from: Finski on November 24, 2011, 10:13:32 PM
Quote from: sweet bee on November 18, 2011, 07:08:25 PMWhen should I close the lower entrance for the winter?

there is no such beekeeping habit like to "close the main entrance" over winter.

Finski,
Do you use mouse guards?

Finski · November 25, 2011, 07:04:41 AM

.
I have not used much but now I start to use. There are some years when every hive have had visitors on bottom. There are half bees on bottom. I have good material for that. I have had a low entrance in reducing stick.

We ought to have winter allready. Now we have west wind over Norwegian mountains, strong wind and misty rain. Next day forecast promise +8 C.
When wind comes down from mountains, it warms up.

Bees are active. They suck water near entrance. They carry tens of dead bees out and drop them from landing board. They carry much rubbish out.

Last year we had this time a thick snow cover.

.

T Beek · November 25, 2011, 11:50:21 AM

We are also experiencing abnormal temps, nearly 60 F yesterday!!!! Should be Freezing or below right now with snow covering the Septic tank :(

thomas

sweet bee · November 28, 2011, 09:18:15 PM

Quote from: kingbee on November 19, 2011, 12:46:36 AM
Quote from: sweet bee on November 18, 2011, 07:08:25 PM...Y'all really get that much snow down there and do y'all pronounce the name of your town like we pronounce the same local place name here, IOW "K-row?"

It snows once every 10 years or so....If it does, we can almost count the flakes. Everybody calls everyone they know to see if it's snowing at their house...snowed for about all of 15 minutes; LOL :shock: And yes sir, We call it K-row! Proud hometown of the Cairo Syrupmakers!

One hive has a 1 inch bottom and top entrance. The second hive has a 4-5 inch bottom entrance and a 1 inch top entrance. I wasn't sure if I should reduce, close or just leave the bottom?

~Angie

AllenF · November 28, 2011, 10:25:49 PM

I did not close mine up last year.

Vance G · November 28, 2011, 11:01:29 PM

I don't close my bottom entrance I just cover it with my hive wrap so the bees can get out but it is effectively blocked from the wind. I wish I could get three feet of snow cover. That is the best hive wrap of all.

KD4MOJ · November 30, 2011, 02:08:50 PM

Hey Sweet Bee:

Just south of you. "K-Row" is certainly a nice town!

...DOUG
KD4MOJ

sweet bee · December 01, 2011, 10:42:50 PM

Quote from: KD4MOJ on November 30, 2011, 02:08:50 PM
Hey Sweet Bee:

Just south of you. "K-Row" is certainly a nice town!

...DOUG
KD4MOJ

I work in Tallahassee... So how-dy neighbor :)

~Angie

tillie · December 02, 2011, 06:43:15 AM

I'm in Atlanta, a good bit north of you, and I keep the screened bottom boards open year round. I do put an entrance reducer on the hives about in October to help with hive protection against robbing if hives are feeling a dearth going into winter, but I keep it on the wide entrance - not the narrow one.

Linda T in Atlanta