# side entrance or end entrance?



## nathan-D (Dec 2, 2012)

I'm a newbie with my first hive and it's a TTBH. I put three 1/2 inch holes(instead of one larger one) on the front of my hive towards the side and a fellow beek was telling me that I should put the entrance on the side of the hive in the middle, so the bees can fan with the entrance in-line with the comb instead of across the comb. The beek told be that the bees won't be able to fan properly with the holes on the end of the hive. He also said that it is more natural for the bees to start in the middle and work outwards. What's everyone's thoughts on the subject?


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## Joseph Clemens (Feb 12, 2005)

To me, it seems most "natural" for the bees to use whatever space and entrances that nature provides for them.


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## Rick 1456 (Jun 22, 2010)

Bees are experts at setting up their own ventilation system. They will adapt.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

My TBH hives have the entrance at one end. I simply place the first bar 3/8" back from the front edge. I modeled it after Michael Bush's design.
http://www.bushfarms.com/beestopbarhives.htm

My bees did fine this past summer.


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## rmcpb (Aug 15, 2012)

My long hive has its entrance at one end and has done just fine this summer with LOTS of very hot weather.


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## Adam Foster Collins (Nov 4, 2009)

I have 5 ktbh's and all of them have end entrances.

Adam


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## Colleen O. (Jun 5, 2012)

My hive originally had the entrance in the middle of the side at the bottom, which worked fine until I needed to expand and then they didn't like it when I tried to move the brood nest away from the entrance hole. (They let the brood hatch out of the comb farther away from the entrance and abandoned that comb.) I ended up putting new entrances on the South facing side near the hive end at the top. The bees were much happier with that arrangement and I never had a problem with bearding or ventilation even on 100+ degree days with the bottom board on.

I've seen pictures of comb from a hive that had end top entrances and the bees had left access holes through the comb where the entrance holes were. Seems like they worked it out.


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## Beregondo (Jun 21, 2011)

The bees don't care.
I've seen wild comb in cutouts oriented both ways; sometimes the entrance is near the comb ends , but I've also seen the entrance open to the face of the first comb.

Nearly all of the wild hives that live between ceiling/floor joists hace the entrance anc comb oritnetatioin the way you describe yours is now.
Some of those colonies get quite big.

The bees don't care.


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## nathan-D (Dec 2, 2012)

So far they are thriving and building up well, I was just worried about the Florida heat which usually doesn't get above 95f, but can stay in the 90s for several months. I tend to think that bees have been putting up with less than great living conditions for a million or so years and can figure out how to make things work. I'm trying to be a hands off beekeeper but I can't help peeking in a lot as this is my first hive.

Rader Sidetrack - When I build my next TBH I'll probably do what you suggested and leave the 3/8" space, it works, it's simple and no drilling or filling of holes. I know a top entrance works well in cold climates, but I imagine it's good in hot climates too (right?).


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

nathan-D said:


> I know a top entrance works well in cold climates, but I imagine it's good in hot climates too (right?).


It gets plenty hot in Tennessee too! I did see bearding on a few occasions, but have had no problems.


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

With an end entrance my bees put all of the pollen just inside, then the brood, and most honey goes behind that, then in winter the cluster moves toward the back as honey is consumed. 

With an entrance in the middle of the side you could end up with the (starving) cluster at one end and the honey at the other sometime during the winter. If the side entrance were at one end it probably wouldn't matter.


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## Honey-4-All (Dec 19, 2008)

Joseph Clemens said:


> To me, it seems most "natural" for the bees to use whatever space and entrances that nature provides for them.


Guess that means we aught to place a bunch of mice and squirrels in with the bees and let them chew their way out in whatever fashion and manner " nature" chooses.


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## Beethinking (Jun 2, 2008)

The hives we sell, and the ones I use (around 15-30 most of the time) have side entrances toward the ends (http://www.beethinking.com/top-bar-hive)









I think either end entrances, or side entrances toward the end, work just fine. I like side entrances with 2 dividers/follows because I find I can more easily access either side of the brood nest. You can, of course, do the same with a shorter divider at the end with the entrance if you use an end entrance. 

Best,
Matt


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Since I want the brood nest at one end when they go into winter, and I find its very likely they will already be there with an entrance on the end I prefer an end entrance. Plus, I put no holes in the hive, just a gap between the end and the last bar.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beestopbarhives.htm
http://www.bushfarms.com/images/TBHEntrance1.JPG


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## nathan-D (Dec 2, 2012)

I like the idea of no holes but they are already there, if I build another tbh I will put a gap up top. As it stands now I can always give them a gap if they need more ventilation. I just added two follower boards so I can get in easier from each side. since it's straight sided and 11" x 11" x 48" I also added some dowels to the center of the bars so I don't have comb collapse. The bees seem to like it, they haven't absconded, they're building comb, making brood and bringing nectar and honey. I installed the package Jan. 2 and they have build out maybe 8 partial combs so far, as they build I've been inserting an empty bar inbetween decent size combs to encourage more comb building. So far so good, thanks for everyone's responses so far.


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