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Author Topic: Hive entrance size  (Read 20891 times)

Offline Mason

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Hive entrance size
« 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?
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Offline Hethen57

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Re: Hive entrance size
« Reply #1 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.
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Offline Paraplegic Racehorse

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Re: Hive entrance size
« Reply #2 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.
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Offline SlickMick

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Re: Hive entrance size
« Reply #3 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

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Offline BoBn

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Re: Hive entrance size
« Reply #4 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.
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Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Hive entrance size
« Reply #5 on: July 30, 2009, 10:07:39 am »
Between 1/4" and 3/4"
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Offline charles

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Re: Hive entrance size
« Reply #6 on: July 30, 2009, 10:11:49 am »
about 3/8"
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Offline Carol

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Re: Hive entrance size
« Reply #7 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?
 

Offline Bush_84

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Re: Hive entrance size
« Reply #8 on: May 01, 2013, 03:30:50 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.
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Also please excuse the typos.  My iPad autocorrect can be brutal.

 

anything