5 Bar Nuc Top Entrance Size?

[taydeko]

I have started building my top bar hives with top entrances ala Michael Bush. I am thinking about building some 5 bar mating nucs to raise queens in with walkaway splits. In my large hives, the entrance is the width of the top of the hive, of course. In these smaller hives, wouldn't that be hard for them to defend and promote robbing from these small hives? I was thinking about making a special top bar to use as the first bar with a small notch cut out that the bees would use as an entrance. I am thinking maybe the notch would be about 1/2 to 1 inch long.

Michael once told me that he never reduces the top entrances on his hives, so maybe I am worrying about this needlessly.

Ted

[taydeko]

I guess the bottom line is if a mating nuc needs a reduced entrance to avoid robbing by bigger, stronger hives?

[westernbeekeeper]

I run a few TBH's, and I never reduce their entrances. However, I don't have any TBH style nucs, so I don't know. Input, anyone?

[Steven Ogborn]

I guess the bottom line is if a mating nuc needs a reduced entrance to avoid robbing by bigger, stronger hives?

I drill 1" holes in my hives. If I need to reduce this down further, I can cover it with a block with a 1/2" or whatever
size hole needed. I can use that block to reduce the 1" hole down to one bee space gap , if needed.
One reason to drill holes in my hives.
http://s1066.photobucket.com/albums/...t=IMAG0041.jpg