I can't imagine any snake being interested in honey any more than I could imagine them being interested in peanut butter or potato skins, but, having then occasion black snake in our country house, I know that they are after only one things-- mouse. Mice will eat almost anything dead or alive, but the snakes are actually very picky about what they eat. If you have less of a snake problem in your hive it's because you have less of a mouse problem too. Let's not forget that the bees that keep the hive warm also invite snakes who appreciate warm places. What could be better than a warm house where one might enjoy a field mouse? Mice are looking for a warm place too live and eat, but usually not in summer.

 

I use 5/16 year round on all my hive configurations. For a year we have also been reducing the entrance to an inch or two. It has reduced intruders and robbing. I think it has also reduced the number of guard bees, releasing them to forage. The yields have been higher since reducing the opening.

 

We went to 3/8 entrance for all hives, eliminated our mice problems and have not seen a snake in hives since doing that--I think the snakes went for the mice smell.

 

We use 3/8 and 1/2 inch. My 1/2 inch openings I use a reducer most of the time anyway.

 

Don't forget to leave enough room for entrance feeders to fit, if you ever use those.

 

I use 5/16"-3/8" on everything. My conversion program says that's 7.94mm-9.53mm in New Zealand Yep, 5/16" keeps MOST of the mice out, but every once in a while...

 

I use 3/8" on my nucs in order to keep the entrances reduced, as it's easier for the bees to protect the hive.

On my production hives I will use up to 3/4". This allows for fairly unobstructed flights in and out of the hive during heavy flows when the bees are most active.

 

5/16 works for me and keeps most mice out

 

3/8" to 1/2" works fine for me.