Hive entrance question

[Ronnie Elliott]

Can you have a bottom, and a top entrance? I normally have a top entrance. Now that the queen excluders are in place, can i open the bottom also? The top is reduced buy using a propolous trap moved back 1-inch from front to create a entrance. The bottom is raised on 3/4-inch plywood strips, to insert plastic board to count for mites. The hives are mounted on a board rack covered with 1/8-inch hardware cloth, 12-inch off ground

[tarheit]

My hives have have both a standard bottom entrance (3/8" high the width of the hive) and an upper entrance (3/8" x 2 to 2.5") It's worked well for me. Too much entrance area could be a problem though if the bees can't defend it leading to robbing.

[Michael Bush]

I've usually (in the past) had both a small top entrance and a large bottom entrance. The bees will do fine with both. I just closed the bottom and opened up the top to deal with the skunks. As tarheit says, I'd be careful not to get too large and they can't defend it, but both works very well.