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Bottom Boards - 3/4" vs. 3/8" entrance

14K views 30 replies 23 participants last post by  Ross 
#1 ·
The title says it all. What do you use? Why? Pro's/con's? Thanks!
 
#5 ·
Should use the 3/4 side of the bottom board in winter and invert the entrance reducer. The 3/8 high opening on the reducer should be on the top side. This leaves a 3/8 high area covering the bottom board for dead bees before dead bees start to block the bottom entrance.

And with the 3/8 high opening mice can not get in.
 
#6 ·
I have two nucs setting side by side. one with 3/4 and the other 3/8. So far no observable difference other than how the bees tend to exit the hive. in the taller hive they tend to exit buy hanging upside down at the tip of the entrance and enter by walking in on the bottom board. on the lower entrance they all walk in and out for the most part. IN effect it is like the taller entrance provides a separate in and out door. I don't know that this makes any difference to the bees.
 
#8 ·
Thanks for the replies so far, everyone. Do all commercial/migratory type bottom boards only have the 3/8" entance. That's what we run in our commercial op, but my personal hives are on the 3/4'' side right now. It would be one less peice of equipment that you have per hive since you wouldn't need a reducer. I have seen some migratory pallets with a 3/4" rim. Of those of you that have a palletized operation, what do you use?
 
#10 ·
http://beekeeping.glorybee.com/shop/Assembled-Migratory-Top.html
We use this style, but we bought all ours used. They also have a 2" cleat on the underside of the ends instead of just a 1" cleat. P.S. GloryBee has the photos for their bottoms and tops accidentally switched. This link to the page is for the cover, but it has the pic of the migratory bottom. ;) Might have to let them know about that.
 
#15 ·
And in addition you should also be leaving them a means of egress and return at the top of the hive in winter locations. Ventilation port plus entrance. So dead bees piled up at the bottom shouldn't be a concern.
 
#19 ·
All mine are 3/8" and another beekeeper I work with who uses pallets for bottom boards are 3/8" also. We both nail a 1" tall entrance reducer in front of the entrance with a 3/8" tall slot in it for further mouse protection. A few of my entrance reducers have already been ravaged but the mice have to get through 3/4" of reducer and 3/4" of pine to get to the hive. Still, when you see mouse damage you'll be happy you did something to prevent them from getting into your hives, namely an entrance small enough to prevent mouse intrusion. Also I have seen my entrances get plugged with dead bees but it seems that when and if the bees need a bigger entrance those dead bees get tossed out to accommodate the greater flow of traffic.
 
#22 ·
I must be the odd one as I use 3/4 all year round. 3/8 doesnt keep out mice for sure any self respecting mouse can chew there way in (metal mouse guards is the only way to go). I just feel the 3/4 entrance allow the hive to breathe a lil better. It might even allow for a little more traffic to come and go. I bet it doen't really matter in the end long as you use what you like.
 
#24 ·
The original reverseable boards were intended to be use 3/8" side up in the summer, 3/4" side up in winter to allow for dead bees collecting in the hive on the bottom board as the dead ones fall out of the cluster in cold weather. A pile of wet, rotting dead bees could be a real problem in the spring, and it could take quite a bit of work to clear them away from a fairly small entrance. It's one thing to drag something out a hole, it's quite another to drag dead bees INTO the hive to clear the entrance.

The bees probably don't care how big the space under the frames is.

Peter
 
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