>1. Do bees usually place brood near the entrance?
The put it whereever they want it. Usually near the other brood that is already there. The entrance does not seem to be a factor.
>1a. If they do and you have a top and bottom entrance are they likely to favor a top or bottom for placement of brood?
I have not tried putting a package in a hive with both a top and bottom entrance. I have put a package in fiour or five mediums frames with starter strips and they always go straight to the top and build a brood nest. Those all had bottom entrances.
>2. If you add boxes to the hive and you have a top entrance only should you add them from the bottom or the top?
It does not matter.
>2a. If you have top and bottom entrance where should you place addtional boxes?
It does not matter as long as you don't break up the brood nest.
>3. What are the pros and cons of having a top and bottom entrance?
I do not believe there are any cons to having a top entrnace. The only one anyone ever says is that there are more confused bees when you're working a hive, but I think there are always confused bees when you are working a hive. The only disadvantages to the bottom entrace is the pests and you have to mow. Mice, skunks, opposums, raccons can devastate your hives.
>4. What is the best way to get the temprature inside a hive?
To measure it? To control it? I don't measure it. I let the bees control it. For good ventilation there should be an air inlet at the bottom and one out the top, regardless of where the entrances are.
>Things I have noticed with the top entrances on the hive boxes. I still need to leave the bottom entrances in place as that is what many of the bees are use to.
If you close the bottom within 24 hours they will all be using the top entrance.
>I have noticed that my bees are not bearding as much at night now. It hasn't stopped but it is less.
That's what I would expect.
>I understand the bees generally prefer brood on the center frames(correct me on that if I am wrong).
No. I have never seen a hive that didn't prefer one side to the other. Some are more extreme than others, but usually one side has brood all the way tot he wall and the other side usually has anywhere from one to four frames that are not brood.
> Hive 2 is like that brood mainly in the center frames feathering out and the outside two frames tend to be mainly honey.
That's how I try to set them up, but not exactly how the bees usually seem to end up doing it.
> Hive 1 has a queen that is left centric and has been since I got her. I can rotate the frames I can move the frame she is on to the center but she is happiest making brood that is mainly left of center. I thought this might be just a fluke on the one deep but when I added the medium she kept the behavior up.
And the side she prefers is either East or South. Most likely South. It also gets some sunshine.
> So I have two boxes with brood that is on the left of center frames. She does both sides of a frame. The workers are healthy and she seems fine. But she just doesn't lay in the right side frames.
She is perfectly normal.
Topic: Hive Behavior (Read 2578 times)