Entrance Reducers

[rrog13]

I’m curious about opinions on entrance reducers during the warmer months.  I’ve seen where keeps run their hives with the entrance wide open and others who say “all they really need is up to 4 inches”.   Numerous times in the evening, I’ve watched a hive beetle hit the landing board and waltz right in without any resistance.   A natural hive generally has a smaller entrance so I’m inclined to agree but thought I’d throw it out to the forum for your thoughts.

[DLMKA]

What makes you so sure that natural hives have such small entrances? I haven't seen lots of bee trees but enough to feel confident to say the entrances on many of the bee trees I've cut apart or done trap-outs on is as big as a baseball or larger. I've cut out what I would call pseudo open air colonies that were tucked up in a corner under a patio and had a very large "opening". I only use entrance reducers on weak colonies or after doing cut-outs when everything still smells like honey and the colony hasn't re-established yet. I'll also put them on in fall to keep mice out.

[iddee]

My opinion on reducers is quite relaxed.

Do they help? Probably do.

Are they mandatory? Probably not.

Are they an advantage at times, and a disadvantage at others? I think so.

[Perry]

Wide open till the hard cold hits. I don't think we have as many problems with pests invading hives up here (SHB) so reducing is usually only done if robbing becomes an issue.
I leave about 3" open on the bottom even at this time of year.

[blueblood]

I run mine wide open when it turns hot. 

[LazyBkpr]

My opinion on reducers is quite relaxed.

Do they help? Probably do.

Are they mandatory? Probably not.

Are they an advantage at times, and a disadvantage at others? I think so.

Wide open till the hard cold hits. I don't think we have as many problems with pests invading hives up here (SHB) so reducing is usually only done if robbing becomes an issue.
I leave about 3" open on the bottom even at this time of year.

   I agree with Iddee, and then do as Perry does
   I believe in the hive and the honey bee the good reverand talks about reducing entrances and says that a 4" reduced entrance is sufficient for even a strong colony, but most I know who keep bees open the lower entrance to WOW when its warm or hot..

[riverbee]

wide open during spring/ summer and fall months.

[Gary]

Be cautious about using the reducer to keep mice out. I discovered that some field mice can squeeze through the small port on the reducer. So I now use mouse guards on all hives during the late fall and winter months.

[BoilerJim]

Warm weather I am wide open for me as well unless I have a robbing issue or if I have a week hive I might reduce  the entrance a little.

[tecumseh]

i use entrance reducer on all the hive i maintain.  most of these are very homemade from the tops of very old frames.  when the weather gets hot I often pull these off .  on hives i am actively keeping for honey production and using a queen excluder atop a very restricted brood nest area I always run reduced the entrance in conjunction with a top entrance.  imho reducing the entrance also can limit winter time problems with mice.

i think it was Seeley who suggested that the preferred size entrance of a feral hive in a tree cavity was about the size of a silver dollar. < my hive here do propolize just a bit and if for some reason I fail in the fall of the year to put on reducers early enough quite often the girls will have pretty much built an entrance reducer from propolis. 

[GLOCK]

 I keep it on 2in when feeding or if theres robbing  other wise I keep the 4in opening  or if there my production {very strong hives}hives wide open till winter then mouse guard and 2in reducer on every hive . and all have top  Entrances {2in}works for me.

[Crofter]

.  on hives i am actively keeping for honey production and using a queen excluder atop a very restricted brood nest area I always run reduced the entrance in conjunction with a top entrance.

I would like to pick you brain some on the idea of the excluder used this way. My son accidently set a box with a queen excluder stuck to the bottom of it, on top of a nuc I hived 3rd week of June. He was surprised when he went to check the top box and it was 10 frames of honey. I think you offered some advice about possible swarm control methods in regard to me not wanting to do splits or increase hive numbers to any extent. Am rolling around lots of little pieces to put together a plan for spring..

[Marty68]

i have an entrance feeder on one side and then i have a half rounded board that i put in front of the rest of it. i've been told that it makes it better for them to protect the entrance if a wasp tries to get in. the hive is better protected. just my opinion. and help with this