Experiment of the week...

[bjosephd]

I have a solid wood floor triple deep Langstroth, reasonably prolific hive, especially considering they have had to draw out two of those boxes this season.

It seems pretty tall, so I added a very shallow shim on top of the very top BB which had a small central front facing entrance… approximately 20mm by 10mm.

After an initial exploring by a handful of bees when it was put in place yesterday after inspection… at 5pm today it would seem nobody really cares much at all for the extra entrance.

Thought it would be interesting to see what they made of it.

Not impressed it seems. Not using it… although didn't see it at the height of the day.

I guess I'll remove it shortly… or see if it is a small enough gap for them to actually block up if they are really offended by it.

But I imagine there's a risk of a chimney draft, so might get on and block it.

 

[Millet]

Will you not get robbing happening from other bees and later in the season by wasps with a second unguarded entrance. ? .

 

[bjosephd]

Will you not get robbing happening from other bees and later in the season by wasps with a second unguarded entrance. ? .

Yep, probably, if it is unguarded, wasn't planning it being there very long, wasn't really convinced it would be very helpful, but it was no biggy to try it for a few days and let the bees tell me.

So far they have been pretty clear in their comments.

Never know though, I'll watch over the next couple of days and see if they utilise it. Personally I'm not entirely comfortable with the air/heat dynamics of it, but it's warm at the moment and they have a wooden floor.

 

[snelgrove]

Bees seem to prefer an upper entrance, one entrance only though is needed. I would only use a bottom entrance with a solid floor as debris would be accumulated on the floor.
Anyhow even with an open mesh floor my preferencewould be a bottom entrance

 

[bjosephd]

Tim Seeley's research seems to suggest that scouts/swarms tend to prefer cavities/boxes with an entrance towards the bottom I think?

But I'll be sticking to bottom entrances… but interesting to see what the bees would think of it. If it's not raining tomorrow I'll go out at high noon and see if they making better use.

I doubt it.

 

[snelgrove]

Tim Seeley's research seems to suggest that scouts/swarms tend to prefer cavities/boxes with an entrance towards the bottom I think?

But I'll be sticking to bottom entrances… but interesting to see what the bees would think of it. If it's not raining tomorrow I'll go out at high noon and see if they making better use.

I doubt it.

I have followed tom seeleys advice regarding bait boxes, made them exact as per instructions. Even added lures, not a one has been caught. Nuc box did however.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

And yet I have built all my bait hives to more or less Tom Seeleyes specifications (even close enough with the heights) every one a winner!

 

[snelgrove]

Just shows you bees do nothing invariably

 

[McNulty]

I have similar set ups. 4 or 5 langstroth boxes per hive with solid floors. About 2 weeks ago I cut small holes in one of the higher boxes about the same size as yours in a couple of the hives. The bees immediately started trying to enlarge the holes by biting chunks out of the polystyrene to widen it. The entrances are now about 4 cm x 2 cm and they are constantly full of bees fanning. The foragers arent really using them but the amount of fanning bees at the bottom entrances has greatly reduced and there is now much less congestion too.

I even tried gluing some small landing boards below the upper entrances just for fun to see if that would alter anything. Quite often, in the evenings, the upper dance floors are full of 'cooler' bees fanning away.

 

[McNulty]

taken just now to show the constant activity

 

[bjosephd]

Hmm... innnteresting... maybe I should go check them at midnight not mid day!

 

[bjosephd]

hmm… still little usage and none last night… I wonder if I put it below the top box instead of above?

Think it'll probably just come off to be honest!

 

[user 6228]

I have similar set ups. 4 or 5 langstroth boxes per hive with solid floors. About 2 weeks ago I cut small holes in one of the higher boxes about the same size as yours in a couple of the hives. The bees immediately started trying to enlarge the holes by biting chunks out of the polystyrene to widen it. The entrances are now about 4 cm x 2 cm and they are constantly full of bees fanning. The foragers arent really using them but the amount of fanning bees at the bottom entrances has greatly reduced and there is now much less congestion too.

I even tried gluing some small landing boards below the upper entrances just for fun to see if that would alter anything. Quite often, in the evenings, the upper dance floors are full of 'cooler' bees fanning away.

which way are they fanning i.e. inwards or outwards

 

[McNulty]

Outwards