Using the Reversible Bottom Boards as a Top Entrance?

[Beesilly]

I would like to try this... and could anyone provide me with more information about this top entrance method?
Thanks! Beesilly.

[Joseph Clemens]

Yes, I use some 10-frame bottom boards as covers for 8-frame hives, I slide back the open end to create top entrances. Like telescoping covers with one end open so I can slide it back to create a top entrance. They work nice for that purpose. I also used some as covers for 10-frame hives, putting the bottom on top, as it were.

[golddust-twins]

http://www.bushfarms.com/beestopentrance.htm


Corinne

[Jeffzhear]

Any new covers I make from a sheet of 3/4" exterior grade plywood (not pressure treated.) I get 10 covers for the price of one sheet of plywood which equates to about three bucks a cover, unless I get a used free sheet of plywood!

The top entrances are easy to make using the plywood covers.

[akaneo]

Does it throw the bees off having to find the entrance every time you add or remove supers or hive bodys for that matter? If you add 2 supers than that moves your entrance up over a foot higher. Then if you have 2 or 4 supers on and you go to extract then you just moved it down 1 to 2 feet. I guess my question is do the bees mind re finding the entrance?

Richard

[Ben Brewcat]

Mine don't seem to have any trouble. They do get confused when you're working the hive and the air fills with bees, but then they figure it out as soon as I close up.

[Michael Bush]

Here's the bottom of one:
http://www.bushfarms.com/images/FeederBottom.jpg

And here it is in place as both a bottom and top:
http://www.bushfarms.com/images/Feed...sEntrances.jpg

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesmisc.htm

And a cheaper and simpler one:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beestopentrance.htm

[knadai]

I used a bottom board for a top cover this year as I was short a telescoping cover. Worked so well I haven't changed it yet. Might not.

Telescoping covers top and bottom are great for transporting hives though...

[naturebee]

I am not a big fan of top entrances, mostly because bees rarely use them, unless you use the method that requires that the bottom entrance be blocked off or reduced. They perhaps are more valuable for providing summer ventilation and fly ports for winter cleansing flights in deep snow areas.

A word of caution, if you do decide to experiment with this top ventilation with a bottom entrance, be sure to check back a few times to see that bees are lined up right inside the opening, guarding the entrance. If bees are not lined up guarding, the colony is not strong enough to guard 2 entrances and you must either remove or reduce one of the openings. Colonies that are incapable of guarding an added top entrance will be the first to succumb to a robbing event, having provided easy access for robbers wanting to avoid the more heavily guarded front entrance.

Joe
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/FeralBeeProject/
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/H...eybeeArticles/