# How many entrance holes?



## Merlinspop (Nov 4, 2010)

Hi all,

My TBH is coming along. Glad I started early, cuz between work and having an infant to help with, shop time is limited. 

Anyway, I have settled on using 7/8" holes, so that wine corks will fit for closing them up as needed. Also will be putting the holes up high, about an inch below the bottom of the bars and just under the frame of the top (built like Dave did in the video. 

I'm wondering how many holes I should drill? I'm thinking 5 but that's just a 'wag.'. I know it's not needed according to MB, but I'm putting on a slanted landing board just so I can watch them. 

Thanks for the advice. 

Bruce


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## Jaseemtp (Nov 29, 2010)

Have you checked out Phil Chandlers site? biobees.com


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## Merlinspop (Nov 4, 2010)

Jaseemtp said:


> Have you checked out Phil Chandlers site? biobees.com


I have, but I decided against side holes.


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## Jaseemtp (Nov 29, 2010)

Yep I do not like the side entrances. The TBH I built I put 3 holes on each end and there is two on each long side. That way I can keep my options open. Say you catch a swarm and dont have anything to put them in, or you wanted to do a split. you could put them in the "other" side of the follower board. I have not tried this out yet, still dont have any bees. I dont plan on keeping all the entrances open at one time.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I drill zero holes. I leave the front bar back 1/4" to 1/2" for the entrance.

Multiple entrances are not always guarded well.


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## Bush_84 (Jan 9, 2011)

Michael Bush said:


> I drill zero holes. I leave the front bar back 1/4" to 1/2" for the entrance.
> 
> Multiple entrances are not always guarded well.


How do they get through the roof? Do you have holes in the roof? 

I'm planning on doing entrances to one end of the long slanted side.


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## Adam Foster Collins (Nov 4, 2009)

I have really mixed feelings about openings in the hive, as I worry that we tend to over-ventilate the hive and just make it more difficult for the bees to control their environment. This is admittedly just a personal position, but it has kept me from drilling multiple holes in my tbh's (of which I have built seven).

I also don't like the idea of entrances in the middle of the side, as it splits their activities to either side, and that could mean trouble for wintering.

I use an end entrance, about 9 inches wide, by .5 inches high. That's it.


Adam


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## SteveBee (Jul 15, 2010)

Do you have a picture of how you make your entrance?


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## mmiller (Jun 17, 2010)

I use (5) 3/4" holes down low on the end. I use wine corks to keep only the desired number open. During winter I only have 1 hole open. I keep the entrance holes about 1" above the bottom so that I don't have an issue with dead bees piling up and closing the entrance. I too like a landing board. It's nice for watching the bees. There is always some sort of activity on the landing board where on hives without more bees will fly straight into the entrances.

Mike


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>How do they get through the roof? 

They don't. They come in the front.

>Do you have holes in the roof?

No.

If you have bars on top of the sides (as my KTBH is) and you have the front bar back 1/2" that leaves a gap 1/2" wide and 3/4" tall for them to come in without any holes anywhere. The lid is on top of the bars (which are 3/4") so it is 3/4" up from the sides (because of the bars) creating the vertical gap and the bar back from the front is 1/2" gap.


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