Upper Entrance

[dpence]

Just curious.  My wife and I are building new supers and were considering drilling them beneath the handle.  Thanks for the input.

David

[Moonshae]

If you put a hole beneath a handle, you're going to have trouble when you put your hand there to move the box. If you want an upper entrance, put a stick in to prop up the outer cover or buy/make an inner cover with a top entrance built in.

If you're talking about honey supers, I think it's a very bad idea, because then it gets harder to get the bees out at harvest time.

[bassman1977]

I would not recommend drilling holes in your boxes.  You may find yourself changing methods and repairing equipment.  Propping up the lid with shims allows the same thing, the bees can still get under the telescoping cover by doing this, and no damage done to the boxes.

[Brian D. Bray]

The more holes in a hive the more entrances.  That means guard bees must be assigned to each hole.  The more holes the more and easier access robber bees have to you hives.  If you want to vent the hive a top entrance works, close of the bottom entrance.  If you just want to vent the top a popsicle stick laid on the top edge of the super works.

I've never know of any beekeeper who drilled holes in his hives who didn't come to regret it big time later.

[hankdog1]

i used them because the stuff was free.  if you try it and don't like it for some reason you can always staple some screen over the hole.  i did have all mine like that but i took the screen off to do some painting i may regret this later on but it kinda make sence.  bees have a shorter distance to get into and around the comb to deposit her honey.  but like other people have said it may make robber bees more likely to try for some easy honey.  up to you i guess there are pros and cons to it all but i'd say neigther way is totally right or wrong.

[dpence]

Thanks for all the input.  I believe I will work with what is called a Imirie shim or prop the top just a bit. 

David

[qa33010]

   If I were to drill a hole, it would be in the brood box only, above the handle/hand hold.  The main idea, as I see it, is to help minumize congestion in brood area, lessen the chance of backfill to minumize swarming and keep the supers' wax cleaner.

[K-R-Farms]

   If I were to drill a hole, it would be in the brood box only, above the handle/hand hold.  The main idea, as I see it, is to help minumize congestion in brood area, lessen the chance of backfill to minumize swarming and keep the supers' wax cleaner.

backfill?

[qa33010]

Honey stored in the brood area.  This can happen if there is too much congestion and the bees start filling brood comb with nectar and pollen.  This normally happens in the spring but anytime there are supplies entering quickly this can happen.  This is what I've read and I expect what I've experienced since I have gone back to bottom entrance for some hives and upper for others, get my own idea and find what works best for me.  Two bottom entrance swarmed and the other one was a swarm from this year.  The top super was not drawn out, I may have caused that by adding it late this year, on both hives.  They have since been drawn and filling up nicely.

[Brian D. Bray]

Honey stored in the brood area.  This can happen if there is too much congestion and the bees start filling brood comb with nectar and pollen.  This normally happens in the spring but anytime there are supplies entering quickly this can happen.  This is what I've read and I expect what I've experienced since I have gone back to bottom entrance for some hives and upper for others, get my own idea and find what works best for me.  Two bottom entrance swarmed and the other one was a swarm from this year.  The top super was not drawn out, I may have caused that by adding it late this year, on both hives.  They have since been drawn and filling up nicely.

Backfilling is often the 1st indicator of swarming and a lot of backfilling will force a hive to swarm even when it isn't overcrowded.