[Chef Isaac]

In the book "The Art & Adventure of Beekeeping" By Ormond and Harry Aebi, they purpose having extended landing boards during the spring and summer months.

Anyone ever try this?

 

[George Fergusson]

I've got about 3" extensions on a few of my hives and the bees hang out there but I wouldn't say there's any benefit to them other than making it possible for me to observe them sitting there- the bees hang out on the other regular 2" entrances as well and I've got one hive with no landing area at all and the bees just hang out on the front of the hive.

If you're hives are on or near the ground, an extended landing board might be helpful to keep them off the ground- mine are on 6" tall platforms I won't bother with extended landing boards in the future.

George-

 

[BjornBee]

Thats called "book filler".

 

[MichaelW]

I'll be reducing the size of my landing areas on all new bottom boards. Its wasted space in my book and makes a convient place for bees to wrestle when they are getting robbed.

 

[Michael Bush]

I have no landing boards at all and the bees don't seem to miss them. But then once the bees are smaller they can fly right in the entrance.

 

[BULLSEYE BILL]

When I was making my SBB's I had a choice of cutting the excess off or leaving the boards at 24 inches long. I decided that it would make a bigger target for the heavily laden bees to land on when coming home.

I don't know it this works, but the increased distance for the skunks and opossums to reach across may expose their bellies a tad more for the bees to sting.