Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => EQUIPMENT USAGE, EXPERIMENTATION, HIVE PLANS, CONSTRUCTION TIPS AND TOOLS => Topic started by: Mason on July 27, 2009, 03:27:49 pm

Title: Hive entrance size
Post by: Mason on July 27, 2009, 03:27:49 pm

Typical rookie here,

I just now noticed that one of my hives has a larger or "taller" entrance slot than the other.  The hives are different and each came from a different supplier.  It might be I have one bottom board upside down.

How tall should the entrance opening be?

Title: Re: Hive entrance size
Post by: Hethen57 on July 27, 2009, 03:57:01 pm

Mine are all supposed to be 3/4", give or take a 1/16".  I've had sand a couple of my blocks to get them to fit because they were a little tight.

Title: Re: Hive entrance size
Post by: Paraplegic Racehorse on July 27, 2009, 08:31:34 pm

Most of the 19th century literature recommends MUCH smaller openings than we currently use - in most cases a 1"-2" hole. Most "feral" hives will seek cavities with pretty small entrances, too.

My Warre hives seem to have no more difficulty using their 1/2" x 4" openings than the full-width x 5/8" openings of my Langstroth hives.

Title: Re: Hive entrance size
Post by: SlickMick on July 28, 2009, 12:14:02 am

Being in SHB territory I keep my entrances as small as the hive allows me to. 3/8" high by what ever can be guarded by the bees.. a single deep is at the moment about 7-8" long

Mick

Title: Re: Hive entrance size
Post by: BoBn on July 28, 2009, 11:51:47 am

Mine are all 3/8".  It works well for me.  I also notice that I never get much debris build up in the winter as I used to have with 3/4".  The bees keep it cleaned out. 

In the summer, I slide a super above the hive bodies back about 3/8" for an additional entrance when needed. 

In the winter, I fasten a reducing block to the bottom so that the bottom entrance is about 3/4" wide, and keep a 3/4" round hole near the top of the hive open.

Title: Re: Hive entrance size
Post by: Michael Bush on July 30, 2009, 10:07:39 am

Between 1/4" and 3/4"

Title: Re: Hive entrance size
Post by: charles on July 30, 2009, 10:11:49 am

about 3/8"

Title: Re: Hive entrance size
Post by: Carol on April 30, 2013, 03:06:22 pm

I am in Central FL....it's starting to get warm. I have my hive in a spot that is shaded late afternoon, which I hope will help. My entrance is 3/8" and I was thinking of making it larger until I found this post. This is a package that was installed about 49 days ago, 3.13.13.  There are a lot of bees at the entrance...cleaning and fanning. I don't see any dropped pollen but there is definately a traffic jam. Do you leave yours 3/8" all year round?
 

Title: Re: Hive entrance size
Post by: Bush_84 on May 01, 2013, 03:30:50 pm

Quote from: Carol on April 30, 2013, 03:06:22 pm

I am in Central FL....it's starting to get warm. I have my hive in a spot that is shaded late afternoon, which I hope will help. My entrance is 3/8" and I was thinking of making it larger until I found this post. This is a package that was installed about 49 days ago, 3.13.13.  There are a lot of bees at the entrance...cleaning and fanning. I don't see any dropped pollen but there is definately a traffic jam. Do you leave yours 3/8" all year round?
 

FYI we are talking height and not length.  I suspect you would need to open your entrance reducer a bit, not increase the height of your entrance.

My entrances are 3/8" tall.