upper landing board

[beehappy1950]

I am kicking around double queening a couple hives. I am trying to figure out how to make a landing board at the back of the hive for the top queen box. I figured making them all use the bottom opening may be a little much. Thanks Harold

[specialkayme]

You don't need a landing board, just an opening. Most natural hives don't have landing boards, and it's just a waste of lumber in my opinion to make them.

[Michael Bush]

I have over 200 hives with top entrances and no landing boards.  They serve no purpose except to give the mice some help getting in...

[beehappy1950]

Ok, I see I didnt ask this question right. What I want to know is do I need to drill holes or build a special box so I can use an entrance reducer? I didnt want to cut up a box but I will. Thanks Harold

[hardwood]

Put a couple of 3/4" holes toward the top of the box and plug the one(s) you're not using at the time with wine corks or water bottle tops.

Scott

[specialkayme]

You can do either beehappy. I converted all my deeps to mediums by cutting the excess off the bottom of the boxes. From there I was given a bunch of extra wood, so I turned all of them into shims, and cut a notch out of them and they make handy upper entrances.

Personally I don't like drilling holes in the bodies, but I know others that do, and it requires less equipment and less money. Both work just fine.

[Michael Bush]

A couple of shims will make an entrance.  A short piece of 1/4" to 3/8" thick wood will make a reducer.  One nail in the middle will make a pivot on the reducer so you can open and close it without removing it.