As you can see, I have a new homemade entrance reducer in place. I made it over the weekend. Luckily for me, I have a duplicate hive set-up in my garage, so it was easy to measure and make the wooden reducer that would fit my hive. As I mentioned before, since I'm using the new Dadant heavy-duty plastic screened bottom board, a standard reducer is worthless -- too long and to thin to work. So I made my own and its working great it seems.
I'll share manufacturing details later, but for now I can take satisfaction in knowing that unwelcome visitors will have a hard time getting inside this hive. And none too soon either...I found the girls dragging a wasp out the day I put the temporary reducer on. Then this past Sunday, when I put the new one on, the guards were fighting a honey bee at the entrance. It wasn't a member of this colony either...she was extremely dark colored (my bees are a bright Italian orange)...and they were giving her a hard time, dragging her out and letting her go, then doing fly-by knock downs when she would land on the front of the hive. So it looks like it is working as it should.
More later!
Hi Mark. It's raining buckets here today so I've just been messing around on the computer - BORING! I'm learning that as long as the dimensions are correct, most hive components are fairly easy to make. Sure saves money.
ReplyDeleteMy bees have had to fight off yellow jackets but, I hope with the recent cold weather here, they are about gone. Take care and keep posting. It's gonna be a long winter here in the mountains.
I just put my reducers on too on the weekend. It does take the bees a few hours to all figure it out, but they do. It'll be warmer inside too.
ReplyDeleteNow you're probably starting to realize you're not so bad with a saw after all. Before we know it you'll be making bee hives :)