Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: trimman on August 07, 2013, 09:28:41 pm

Title: TOP ENTRANCE
Post by: trimman on August 07, 2013, 09:28:41 pm

i am trying a top entrance on one of my hives with a sbb and was wondering about the bottom entrance close it off completely or leave a small gap so they can bring the dead out just wondering thanks

Title: Re: TOP ENTRANCE
Post by: rober on August 07, 2013, 09:32:45 pm

i leave the bottom open unless i'm having a problem. i put an entrance reducer on in the winter.

Title: Re: TOP ENTRANCE
Post by: Brian D. Bray on August 07, 2013, 11:12:00 pm

Quote from: rober on August 07, 2013, 09:32:45 pm

i leave the bottom open unless i'm having a problem. i put an entrance reducer on in the winter.

That's the best way to go.  Top entrance will reduce bearding as airflow becomes natural over bees forcing it in  and up one side then down and out the other.

Title: Re: TOP ENTRANCE
Post by: BlueBee on August 08, 2013, 02:48:04 am

Ask a bunch of bee keepers and get about 15 different answers  :)

So for my two cents, I would just go with a top entrance and close up the bottom entrance.  I have hives that run the gamut of entrance configurations; top or bottom or middle.  No matter which, I only keep one entrance open.  The bees are perfectly capable of keeping the bottom of their hive clean with only a middle or top entrance.  They just drag the dead up and drop them outside the door.  As Brian says, less beading with a top or middle entrance.

Title: Re: TOP ENTRANCE
Post by: Michael Bush on August 08, 2013, 11:13:48 am

My observations:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beestopentrance.htm#dead (http://www.bushfarms.com/beestopentrance.htm#dead)

Title: Re: TOP ENTRANCE
Post by: trimman on August 08, 2013, 07:35:49 pm

thank all of you very much for your help