Ronnie Elliott
09-20-2005, 12:37 PM
My hives or on screen bottom racks, 12-inches off the ground. I have propulas traps on top of the hive, with an inverted BB on top which gives hive plenty of ventilation. This is a weaker hive, and I have reduced the entrance opening down to 1-inch wide to help keeps down robbing. I have had 1-hive robbed out, because the bee suit was having a zipper installed. QUESTION: Is this size oppenening large enough, or should it be wider?
MichaelW
09-20-2005, 12:54 PM
no thats fine. I only see the need for a full size entrance during the main honey flow. Now the smaller the entrance, the easier it is for the bees to guard it. About a one inch or less entrance stops robbing every time for me. I use screened bottom boards for ventilation, your top ventilation should be fine.
Michael Bush
09-20-2005, 02:53 PM
As long as there is adequate ventilation and there isn't a flow you can have an entrance as small as 3/8" by 3/4". But on a strong Hive I'd lean more toward a couple of inches.