Question about top entrances

[bayareaartist]

I built a hive and it is set up for a top entrance.
My question is this, when I start adding boxes do I move the entrance up past the brood chambers and keep it at the top of the stack? Or do I leave it just above the brood chamber boxes?

So to explain the configuration for what I have.

I have a bottom board, ventilated, There is no bottom entrance at this time, I will open a small one in a few weeks.
Then a box with frames then a queen excluder, I put this on because I am using foundationless frames.
Then I have the inner cover then the outer cover, I am about to move the hive so I took the feeder off.

Once they get the first box drawn out pretty good my plan is to remove the excluder.

All help and advice is greatly appreciated.
I will try to get some photos' up.

[bayareaartist]

http://www.geocities.com/clayincal/beehive_bart.jpg

[leominsterbeeman]

Keep it where it is.  

You do not want to move the entrance at all.  

If you move it, the bees in the field will return to where the entrance was, and find nothing there...
With your current set-up bee's returning with pollen will go down into the brood chamber.  those with honey will go up into the supers.

[Michael Bush]

http://www.bushfarms.com/images/MigratoryTopEntrance2.JPG
Here's a migratory with shims.
http://www.bushfarms.com/images/MigratoryTopEntrance1.JPG
Another miigratory with shims.
http://www.bushfarms.com/images/EightTenEightHives.jpg
The one on the left is a wider notch in the inner cover.  The next is a wider notch in the inner cover, but the outer cover is blocking your view but it's forward enough to let the bees in.  The third is the same situation on a slightly shorter hive.
http://www.bushfarms.com/images/TypicalHiveMyHive.JPG
The one on the right is one of my typical hives.  The top entrance is just the shims on the migratory cover.

All of my hives have the bottom entrance completely closed all year round.  All of these have SBB.  All of these the entrance is the lid or the inner cover so it's always on the top.  The bees just come back looking to get in the top.  When the top moves up seven inches they have no confusion over where to get in.

[SherryL]

Donn,

Can you  describe what material you're using to cover your outer cover, and then is that a board nailed to it?  Muy interestante!

sherry

[thegolfpsycho]

How does that entrance affect beespace at the top of your hive?  If there is a big gap, they will mess it up with wild comb.  In another post, I think you said you were going foundationless with top bars?  What purpose is the queen excluder serving?  Are you using it to keep the queen in the hive?

[Michael Bush]

>How does that entrance affect beespace at the top of your hive? If there is a big gap, they will mess it up with wild comb.

On most of mine I use the shims which adds nothing to the back and only 1/4" to the front.  They don't tend to burr up where they come in so it works pretty well.  There is some occasional burr comb.

[bayareaartist]

I stapled heavy canvas on the top cover then painted it.
I'm a painter, I paint large abstract paintings.
I figure if it rots I then can replace it with something else.
the board on the side is to hold the lid on, keeps people from just walking up to it and popping the lid off, you know those pesky teenagers.

I think I am reinventing the wheel, but I am learning a lot.

[SherryL]

Hey, the canvas would be easy enough to replace - why not.  I've included a pic of my tops, they're made of metal sheets I picked up at Home Depot in the 'metal dept.'   .... I have no idea, but it had all kinds of metal parts, for vents and things.  Anyway it's only my second season, but they seem to be holding up fine thru wind, rain, snow, sun, ect.  This picture was taken May of 2004 while setting up the hives, they don't normally sit right on the ground like that.



BTW, I checked out your website.  All I can say is you do AMAZING work!  Love your stuff.  Doubt it's in my price range.  Have you done any bees?     I'm in the process (very painful, life-threatening process) of remodeling my kitchen.  Almost finished, but I can't find the perfect look for my backsplash.  The granite countertops are going in today, and I'm leaving this afternoon for the rest of the summer.  So, now the decision will be put off until Aug., but I've been searching high and low for a bee motif.  The closest I've found were thru the Movarian Pottery people out in PA.  They have a honeycomb border pattern I like, but I don't care for their bee tile.  It's a little too plain.  These are replications of antique tiles, so they have no interest in changing patterns.  Anyway, if you ever do bees let me know!

sherry