What is the smallest practical entrance size?

[David LaFerney]

I've had hive beetles and some robbing issues late this summer, and my experience has been that both problems are aggravated by having a large entrance - or multiple entrances.  Next year I want to try out an idea I have for keeping SHB under control - a 3-4" long entrance "hall" that has a screened floor over an oil trap.  It would be best if the size of the entrance stayed about the same for the duration of warm weather - and as small as possible so that the guard bees would thoroughly harass any incoming beetles or outgoing larvae so that they are very likely to fall into the oil. 

If you don't have SHB count yourself lucky - so far.

BTW, I plan to regulate ventilation with screened openings other than the entrance.

[annette]

No SHB here yet.  They claim it is coming this way, but I really feel grateful so far.

[Joelel]

I've had hive beetles and some robbing issues late this summer, and my experience has been that both problems are aggravated by having a large entrance - or multiple entrances.  Next year I want to try out an idea I have for keeping SHB under control - a 3-4" long entrance "hall" that has a screened floor over an oil trap.  It would be best if the size of the entrance stayed about the same for the duration of warm weather - and as small as possible so that the guard bees would thoroughly harass any incoming beetles or outgoing larvae so that they are very likely to fall into the oil. 

If you don't have SHB count yourself lucky - so far.

BTW, I plan to regulate ventilation with screened openings other than the entrance.

We had a small hive with about 30,000 bees in 1 box brood a package we started.We had the whole front open and got beetles bad. We just closed it down to about 4 inches and the bees killed them out real fast,no oil trap.

[contactme_11]

The last couple of years we've had weird weather here in the summer and I've been leaving an entrance reducer on all the time and I haven't had much trouble with SHB since this. Coinsidence?

[SlickMick]

I think that having a reduced entrance is one of the tools necessary to be used in attempts to manage the shb however ventillation can be an issue. The entrance has to be small enough to allow the guard bees to do their job. They wont stop all shb getting in but they will manage the traffic a lot better

Mick

[David LaFerney]

I think that having a reduced entrance is one of the tools necessary to be used in attempts to manage the shb however ventillation can be an issue. The entrance has to be small enough to allow the guard bees to do their job. They wont stop all shb getting in but they will manage the traffic a lot better

Mick

Like I mentioned I'm planning to allow for ventilation with screened vents other than the entrance.  Late this summer I built a couple of these:



SBB / oil traps (prototypes) - which helped a lot.  But I have a few improvements in mind that I think will make a big difference in overall hive management.  After a good bit of observation I just think that a smaller entrance is better - I just don't really know how small would be too small. 

And Mick, I know that SHB is one of your areas of interest and expertise. Don't you think that if the only way into (or out of) the hive was through a somewhat small tunnel (3-4" long) full of guard bees and with a screened bottom over a pit of death oil trap it would at least minimize the number of adults getting in and larvae getting out - kind of Indiana Jones-esque.  I think it's worth a try. 

If it works it would actually be pretty simple.

[David LaFerney]

No SHB here yet.  They claim it is coming this way, but I really feel grateful so far.

It's probably not too soon to have a strategy in mind.  They're nasty.

[hardwood]

I for one (being someone with SHB battles of my own) would love to hear how it works if you indeed try it!

You've got me thinking now...maybe a push-in prototype (similar to an entrance feeder) and block off the rest of the opening just to try it out?

Scott

[David LaFerney]

I for one (being someone with SHB battles of my own) would love to hear how it works if you indeed try it!

You've got me thinking now...maybe a push-in prototype (similar to an entrance feeder) and block off the rest of the opening just to try it out?

Scott

I'm thinking of a c shaped sheet metal widget 3-4" wide and 3-4" long with just a top and 5/16 - 3/8" sides  down to my existing sbb - attached to a matching entrance reducer.  Very simple.

[SlickMick]

David, I have seen pics of an entrance oil trap that had a screened top and a cover to protect the oil from the weather. It looked quite a feasible option or addition to the bottom board oil trap. The screened top is obviously there for the shb to be made as an escape space to get away from the harassment by the bees. I suppose a similar concept to yours except that yours would use the oil in the sbb trap (?)

Your sbb traps look fantastic. I expect that you find them working well in practice.

What's the old addage? "Build a better shb trap and the beekeeping world will beat a path to your door!"  :-D

Mick

[David LaFerney]

Your sbb traps look fantastic. I expect that you find them working well in practice.

What's the old addage? "Build a better shb trap and the beekeeping world will beat a path to your door!"  :-D

Mick

Oh yeah, they work.  Many dead nasties in there within a few hours.  It can be better though.  Amazing - the amount of stuff that lands in there. 

[Sparky]

I like the theory behind your thinking. My concern would be, is this going to create to much of a restriction during the peaks of nectar flow when the girls are at their max in production and being counter productive for your honey crop ? There again maybe this is when you would add a upper entrance to supers.

[bigbearomaha]

I am experimenting with a 3 or 4 hole method.  This has a series of 3 or 4 holes lined vertically at the end of the hive.  With a 3/8" hole at the top to allow for ventilation and easy for colonies that need an easier entrance to defend. It is also always the open hole at all times, allowing the bees an exit/entrance without worry of being blocked in by debris accumulated over time, especially winter.

second from top is a 1/2" hole ( in a 3 hole situation, this one is not included, going directly to the next hole down)

followed next down by a 3/4" hole.  

At the very bottom is a 1" hole which allows more traffic in peak times and easier "housekeeping" practices by the bees.

During good weather, all three or four holes are open and traffic is booming.  If robbing should occur or other threat, the two or three bottom holes can easily be covered leaving the easily defended 3/8" hole at the top.

I have two hives working with this entrance type so far and  I haven't noticed any issues out of the ordinary thus far. (coincidentally, these are the only two hives I have going right now into winter, as my yard is WAY too small to contain any more. when spring comes, I am crossing my fingers the new, much much bigger beeyard will be ready and able to be used.)

Big Bear

[David LaFerney]

I am experimenting with a 3 or 4 hole method.  This has a series of 3 or 4 holes lined vertically at the end of the hive.  With a 3/8" hole at the top to allow for ventilation and easy for colonies that need an easier entrance to defend. It is also always the open hole at all times, allowing the bees an exit/entrance without worry of being blocked in by debris accumulated over time, especially winter.

second from top is a 1/2" hole ( in a 3 hole situation, this one is not included, going directly to the next hole down)

followed next down by a 3/4" hole.  

At the very bottom is a 1" hole which allows more traffic in peak times and easier "housekeeping" practices by the bees.

During good weather, all three or four holes are open and traffic is booming.  If robbing should occur or other threat, the two or three bottom holes can easily be covered leaving the easily defended 3/8" hole at the top.

I have two hives working with this entrance type so far and  I haven't noticed any issues out of the ordinary thus far. (coincidentally, these are the only two hives I have going right now into winter, as my yard is WAY too small to contain any more. when spring comes, I am crossing my fingers the new, much much bigger beeyard will be ready and able to be used.)

Big Bear

That would be a total of about 1.5 square inches = a single entrance 3/8" by about 4 inches long.  Which sounds reasonable to me.  Have you tried this with a full size hive during a nectar flow without seeing a terrible traffic jam?  I know of a couple of old ferral hives that have entrances that you could plug with your thumb, but there is no telling how big the hive really is or if the entrance restricts their productivity.

[bigbearomaha]

Not really, this is a relatively new experiment in hive entrances and the colonies are from 'rescues' removing bees from peoples properties.  They really haven't had the time or opportunity to grow to 'full size' yet to test that far.

hopefully, these make it to the spring and there will be better chance to observe how well it works with a 'full blown' colony

 I will be collecting swarms and  doing 'rescues' along the way, so new residents of these hives will help to get a better sample of observation data as time goes on.

Note, not all the hives I build will have this entrance style until I am comfortable that it is workable.

Big Bear

[contactme_11]

Do you have a picture of this? I'm having some trouble picturing what you're describing.

I am experimenting with a 3 or 4 hole method.  This has a series of 3 or 4 holes lined vertically at the end of the hive.  With a 3/8" hole at the top to allow for ventilation and easy for colonies that need an easier entrance to defend. It is also always the open hole at all times, allowing the bees an exit/entrance without worry of being blocked in by debris accumulated over time, especially winter.

second from top is a 1/2" hole ( in a 3 hole situation, this one is not included, going directly to the next hole down)

followed next down by a 3/4" hole.  

At the very bottom is a 1" hole which allows more traffic in peak times and easier "housekeeping" practices by the bees.

During good weather, all three or four holes are open and traffic is booming.  If robbing should occur or other threat, the two or three bottom holes can easily be covered leaving the easily defended 3/8" hole at the top.

I have two hives working with this entrance type so far and  I haven't noticed any issues out of the ordinary thus far. (coincidentally, these are the only two hives I have going right now into winter, as my yard is WAY too small to contain any more. when spring comes, I am crossing my fingers the new, much much bigger beeyard will be ready and able to be used.)

Big Bear

[bigbearomaha]

I can try to get a pic online.  Basically, it looks like a snowman, if you will, in the center of the end of the hive.

Big Bear

[Bee-Bop]

Here is my mouse guard winter entrance, in bad prolong  winter periods I tape duck all but 2 holes closed, also have a 3/8 x 1 1/4 top vent/entrance.



Not practical I know, but I like to play !

Bee-Bop