entrance reducer

[DLee]

When do you remove the entrance reducer on overwintered hives?

[Michael Bush]

IMO when you have a traffic jam (from local bees, and not from robbers).

[DLee]

That was my first thought and they were having traffic issues...

Thanks Michael.

[Hillbillynursery]

I like to slowly open the entrance. I like the factory made reducers which you flip for the size of opening. I do not remove them until the 4 inch opening has bees crawling ontop of each other.

[Dan Williamson]

I removed the one one my Carniolan hive because they had 2 deeps and a med full of bees and 12 frames of brood. I had to open it all the way up with the 73 degree weather we are having. They couldn't move. My other two hives are smaller in comparison and don't seem to be having traffic issues so I left their reducers on. I think it can be a hive by hive issue. Of course the those with alot of hives don't have the luxury of babysitting each hive.

Dan

[Lively Bee's]

I never use them.

[fhafer]

I put in an upper entrance today above the queen excluder. I reduced the lower entrance by two-thirds and have the upper entrance open a third. Once I see the upper entrance being used and a build-up of bees waiting to get in I'll open the upper entrance some more. I use small wood blocks of various lengths as reducers. It works for me and my bees.

[odfrank]

I never use them.