# tbh entrance



## wisbigcheese (Jan 23, 2009)

*end entrance holes*

I placed 2 holes at the end seems to be working fine . These are 3/4 inches and a 5 inches apart . I have heard others reasons to place the entrance in the side , but I like the end entance better .


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## LenInNorCal (Feb 28, 2009)

Where it's cold, like NY, and the wind blows, try to make sure your entrance does not face brood bars. With that I would put the entrance on the front, and make sure they are the size of a cork if you use holes. Winter comes and you can cork shut all but one.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Mine have NO holes. Just the first bar back 3/8" from the front.


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## elsyr (Dec 2, 2008)

Michael Bush said:


> Mine have NO holes. Just the first bar back 3/8" from the front.


I'm using hole entrances on the end, instead of sliding one bar back (due to the way I built the hive roof. Is a single 1" diameter hole going to be sufficient for a 4' long TBH (built pretty much to your plan from 1x12s)? That's what I have now, and it occurs to me that it might be insufficient once the colony (hopefully) gets built up. Should I add one or two more holes that I can close with corks?

Thanks,
Doug


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

One 1" diameter hole is probably what the bees would have chosen, but it is going to be a traffic jam when the hive is booming and the flow is on.


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## elsyr (Dec 2, 2008)

Michael Bush said:


> One 1" diameter hole is probably what the bees would have chosen, but it is going to be a traffic jam when the hive is booming and the flow is on.


That's what I was afraid of. I'll pop a couple more 1" holes in the end and close them with corks before I hive the packages ... then if it looks like things are getting logjammed, I can always pull one or both of the corks. Better to drill holes in the hive before they're inhabited, I'm thinking.

Thanks,
Doug


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## dan k 1 (Jan 7, 2009)

Is it necessary to cover the entrance holes when you install the package? If it is how long do you keep them covered?


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## REWERT (Jan 30, 2009)

I put (3) 1" holes on the side, about 1/3 way from one end and towards the bottom. My climate (Wisconsin) is cold so my thought was to use followers to keep the hive more compact in the winter. I will also add sheet foam insulation between the 2 ends and followers to help retain some heat.


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## dan k 1 (Jan 7, 2009)

*Brood nest, where is it located?*

Hello Everyone, I have a question. Where will the bees build their brood nest in a T.B.H with 3, 1" holes in the front/end of the hive as an entrance. I saw in a dvd they will build the brood area in toward the center of the hive with honey stores on either side. I also read they will build it close to the entrance.

Thanks 
Dan


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>Where will the bees build their brood nest in a T.B.H with 3, 1" holes in the front/end of the hive as an entrance.

Wherever they want. 

> I saw in a dvd they will build the brood area in toward the center of the hive with honey stores on either side. I also read they will build it close to the entrance.

They tend towards being close to the entrance, but there are no guarantees.


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## wisbigcheese (Jan 23, 2009)

*brood*

Mine brood seem to bee in the middle . I have (3) 3/4 in entrance holes.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Just got into my KTBH this spring. A mouse got in despite the top entrance and wrecked half of the hive. Just a little cluster of bees left alive as the mice ate the rest... I think I want to move the entrance higher...


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## BGhoney (Sep 26, 2007)

I just put a package of bees in my first kenyan hive a week ago. The started building comb right back at the follower board 8 frames back, they have drawn 4 frames down about 8 inches in 5 days. ( kinda kewl ) I used mr Bushes idea of the triangle wood slate and they a perfectly on track. I didn't drill a hole for an entrance, but notched a first boad 3/4 by 2 inch. When they get cranking I will just move it back a half inch and have a 15in opening...

It also has an 24in observation window.. until they draw 3 or 4 more frames all you see is bees hanging on each other lining up comb angles.. 

I plan on just taking some comb honey off this hive. I'll extract from the langs and learn and watch this one.


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## elsyr (Dec 2, 2008)

I lifted out a bar from each hive last Friday, to remove the hanging queen cages, and they've started building comb near where the cages were hung - about 6 bars back from the entrance. The comb is nice and straight, and they are using the popsicle stick guides, but I got those queen cages out just in time, as they were starting to attach to the sides. Next time, I'll have more confidence and experience, and go for a direct queen release. Anyway, I'm still keeping them to one of the three 1" holes open ... I figure I'll open up more in a few weeks.

Doug

Edit - had to mention that my wife and I agree that we've not recently seen anything quite so entrancing as the snow white perfect new comb our girls are building, with the rows of honey filled cells along the top. Just amazing.


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## Ansley (Jan 19, 2009)

Michael- I'm a novice at woodworking and beekeeping- bad combo when trying to build TBH! I have a question about how your entrance works with the cover on. Can you give a really precise explanation for someone (me) who has no intuitive feel for woodworking or design? Also, how do your bees clean how the hive with the opening in the top? Thanks!


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

> Michael- I'm a novice at woodworking and beekeeping- bad combo when trying to build TBH! I have a question about how your entrance works with the cover on.

The problem is that it's too simple for anyone to grasp. If your top bar hive has the bars resting on (and not inset in) to the dies and your cover is just a flat cover, you don't need to worry about an entrance. The leftover space if you put the bars tight to the back will make your entrance. If it's less than 1/4" then leave out the first bar. You'll have the gap at the front as the entrance. Now if you got fancy, which I don't recommend with a top bar hive, and make a telescopic cover, then you'll have to slide it all the way forward to have a top entrance and if there isn't at least 1/4" gap at the front with it all the way to the front, then it may not work at all.

> Can you give a really precise explanation for someone (me) who has no intuitive feel for woodworking or design?

I keep trying. I tried to get better pictures of it on my site, but my camera upload isn't working and I don't know why.

> Also, how do your bees clean how the hive with the opening in the top?

http://www.bushfarms.com/beestopentrance.htm#dead


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## Ansley (Jan 19, 2009)

Thanks. I think I've got it now. :doh:


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