If you have a screened bottom board without the insert, there is no need to open the entrance reducer beyond the 4" opening. Assuming this is a fairly new hive as an established colony does not need an entrance reducer now at all.
When to use entrance reducer
I have a standard off-the-shelf 10-frame Lang. setup. My climate in far-northern California is Mediterranean. It gets very hot in summer and is supposed to be 104F by Wednesday (although that is extreme for this time of year). Yesterday I made a 3/4" entrance/vent hole in the super which I currently have screened.
With that information, here is the question...... If I am not seeing any robbing activity is there any reason to use an entrance reducer this time of year? I have a screened bottom board but have been keeping that closed due to the chilly nights we are still having (or were until very recently). With the upcoming heat I plan to remove the board from the screened bottom.
I did a forum search for this thinking it would be a common question but didn't find anything. If there is already extensive discussions here please feel free to point me the right direction. Thank you all.
With that information, here is the question...... If I am not seeing any robbing activity is there any reason to use an entrance reducer this time of year? I have a screened bottom board but have been keeping that closed due to the chilly nights we are still having (or were until very recently). With the upcoming heat I plan to remove the board from the screened bottom.
I did a forum search for this thinking it would be a common question but didn't find anything. If there is already extensive discussions here please feel free to point me the right direction. Thank you all.
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Bees cool the hive through evaporative cooling. In order for that to work, the moisture from evaporation has to have somewhere to go. Extra ventilation provides that avenue of escape. There have been a lot of discussions regarding cooled air and warmed air within the hive. Very few actually understand the concept. Somehow, the idea that at 100% RH evaporation does not occur just doesn't sink in. This is a fact anyone who actually has lived in a high temp, high humidity environment can attest to. The bees will let you know if they are getting hot. They beard. In my observations, a hive with adequate ventilation will have very little bearding, even on those scorcher 100 degree plus days.
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