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10 Posts
Hello, I was wondering how important the entrance bar on the hive is...I went to check on my bees today and it seems it has been pushed out a little bit...is this something I should fix? How important is this bar?
entrance bar
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Joined
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2,282 Posts
not important at all unless the hive is weak and needs some help to prevent robbing.
The larger the entrance, the more bees will be required to guard it. I keep mine at a 4 - 5 inch opening, and this doesn't seem to jam up the bees at all. Later in summer I will reduce the entrance down to an inch or two, during the dearth - this is when other bees or wasps will try and rob.
Sometimes the bees push it out if it's not wedged tightly. Sometimes skunks pull it out... look for scratches on the hive and piles of soggy bees. Those would indicate a skunk...
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