Placement of upper entrance

[FreyaFL]

I'm going to be transferring bees from a cardboard nuc to permanent equipment shortly. I've decided this would be a good time to try using ONLY an upper entrance hive (I am using a SBB). I'm sure I'm over-thinking this, but I have several questions on doing this.

1) Because the nuc they're currently in has a small, pop-out lower entrance, will they be able to figure out how to use the upper one fairly quickly?

2) Assuming they WILL figure out how to get out (no lower entrance), and I plan to use a QE, should I just go ahead and place the QE immediately, since they'll be disoriented anyway, then place the upper entrance over that? (I will be placing drone escapes in all brood boxes).**

3) When adding or subtracting boxes, do I raise and lower the entrance constantly or should I plan to keep it between the brood boxes and supers?

Thank you for any help/advice on this! Freya

**On queen excluders...My young teenage daughter, who helps me with the bees, loves cut comb. It is her favorite candy, or so she tells everyone. So, this is simply part of our plan.**

[Vance G]

The queen excluder will trap drones inside with no exit for them. I bet that you lose a bunch of bees as they find the smell of the colony thru the beloved SBB but can't get in. I would set the hive body on a flat piece of plywood until using the upper entrance is known to them. I bet bee suppliers love the use of SBB's!

[gmcharlie]

Vance, I have used both for a long time and its never been a problem sometimes a few get confused but a bees habit of climbing lets tehm figure it out pretty quick. there are no piles of dead bees under my SBB.
Freya, I leave the Top entrance above the brood nest, and move full supers to the top. IE the empty super is always next to the entrance.
Personaly I don't use excluders with a top entrance as long as there are 2 deeps abouve a screen bb or one deep on a solid. I find that normaly the queen doesn't like to cross the gap greated by the top entrance, provided she has enough dark area to lay in. (screened bottoms require 2 deeps) While its not always perfect, Its not a big deal if brood gets in your supers. its easy to remove. move the brood to the outsides, or the /frames up, and let them hatch.

[FreyaFL]

Vance G, It was my understanding that a 3/8" drone escape would be sufficient for dealing with the drone issue? (I've no idea how smart drones are. Would they find the hole? I'm assuming so from other's posts, but no personal experience. LOL)


gmcharlie, It's good to hear that the SBB won't be a problem. I've used it on my regular hives and never had a problem, but they have the regular bottom entrance.

Freya, I leave the Top entrance above the brood nest, and move full supers to the top. IE the empty super is always next to the entrance. I was wondering if moving the entrance up and down would cause a lot of drift, but I wasn't certain if it really would, so this sounds logical to me. Thanks!

As for the excluders, I'm really leaning towards using one, though I do leave myself the option of changing my mind. But at this moment, I'm leaning towards using it.

[Vance G]

I don't know where the 3/8 reference came from sorry. Good luck.

[Daniel Y]

The queen excluder will trap drones inside with no exit for them. I bet that you lose a bunch of bees as they find the smell of the colony thru the beloved SBB but can't get in. I would set the hive body on a flat piece of plywood until using the upper entrance is known to them. I bet bee suppliers love the use of SBB's!

I had my first experience with a screen bottom yesterday. I put a swarm in a tip bar hive that has a screen bottom. Many bees got dumped on the ground or set to flying while being dumped. Many even found the screen bottom and tried to get to there queen from that direction. many even clung to the screen and instantly started scenting to draw other bees that direction. But the do not remain lost. Once they realized there was no way in they started searching. as they searched and did not find a entrance they became frantic and actually started running over every surface. eventually they found the way in. I guess the bees know the difference between being able to smell and being able to get to. and they keep going until they get to.