# New Hive Build



## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

Welcome to Beesource!


I'd definitely recommend making the entrance in one end - not in the sides.

My TBHs have the entrance made by simply spacing the first bar about 1/2" back from the front edge. That way there is no reason to drill any holes, and the top entrance allows appropriate ventilation as well. I screwed in a 'stop block' to make sure that the entrance was not accidentally blocked by misplaced bars.


----------



## ruthiesbees (Aug 27, 2013)

Do you have a window in that? If not, take it apart and put one in...the wife will thank you later. Then put the entrance holes on the opposite side of the window. I have hives with both long side entrances as well as hives with short side entrances. I don't think the bees care. I prefer the 3 evenly spaced holes on the long side as I think they work the entire hive better and I plan to make use of a queen excluder in my TBH this coming spring.


----------



## Richter1978 (Oct 3, 2013)

I have 3 top bar hives and the most irritating one to work has the center entrance, that is center of the long side. If I had made it where I could work it from the back, maybe not such an issue. I like the ones I have with the entrance on the left side of the long side, you can still stay out of the bees way with that one. Also have a friend with entrances on the ends and that seems good as well. Ditto on the window!


----------



## drlonzo (Apr 15, 2014)

Rader Sidetrack said:


> Welcome to Beesource!
> 
> 
> I'd definitely recommend making the entrance in one end - not in the sides.
> ...


If you put your entrance in on an end and start the bees on that same end they will build the brood nest first and closest to the entrance. As they build toward the other end that area tends to be more honey than anything else. Why is this important? Less work on you later on. The bees will backfill that end with honey and when winter time comes they won't get confused about what way to go to get to the honey. If you put an entrance in the middle you have to rearrange the hive prior to winter and make sure all the honey is on one end yourself.

So as Graham states - I'd place the entrance at one end or the other and NOT in the middle.


----------



## PHudson (Sep 27, 2014)

I also agree with putting the holes in one end instead of the side. I have three 1" holes and I also placed a landing board of sorts in front of the holes. I've seen bees coming in loaded down and they are flying with there heads high and butts low so I thought I'd help them out a bit. I also have them a bit high instead of at the bottom.


----------



## WBVC (Apr 25, 2013)

Seems there. Is no right way mine have 3 holes spaced along the long side. I have just left one open at one end and bees seem happy with that.


----------



## bruiseandy (Dec 28, 2014)

Thank you all for the replies. Ended up with three 1" holes on the end and added the windows. 1 down three more to go.


----------



## bruiseandy (Dec 28, 2014)

The red dowel is the excluder


----------



## drlonzo (Apr 15, 2014)

Looks great!


----------



## bruiseandy (Dec 28, 2014)

Thank you, hopefully its works great as well.


----------



## Delta Bay (Dec 4, 2009)

bruiseandy said:


> The red dowel is the excluder


I am assuming you mean the follower board? One other design component you may be interested in is to us a false follower at the front entrance end of the hive. It is just a follower with a bee space all around it so you can easily remove to give you space to inspected from that end. It helps in getting into the brood area of the nest real quick rather than having to remove honey bars at the back end when you have 20 or more combs.


----------



## ruthiesbees (Aug 27, 2013)

Delta Bay said:


> I am assuming you mean the follower board? One other design component you may be interested in is to us a false follower at the front entrance end of the hive. It is just a follower with a bee space all around it so you can easily remove to give you space to inspected from that end. It helps in getting into the brood area of the nest real quick rather than having to remove honey bars at the back end when you have 20 or more combs.


definitely make it so the bees can access the other side or it becomes a hideout for the small hive beetle.


----------



## shannonswyatt (May 7, 2012)

I put mine on the side but towards one end. This way it is out of the rain. I do have one with an end entrance and they did just fine with that as well.


----------

