Entrance Reducer

[topper]

Sorry for taking so long to get this photo posted. Thought it was a computer problem, turns out I had switched something off on the phone.

Well anyway, made a mock-up on a thin piece of wood, use 3/4".

Used a hand held router to remove the material defined by the black outline.

The red arrows indicate direction of travel for bees entering the hive. The design blocks direct drafts.

Other than the length of the reducer, and the depth of the cut (dado) to be "bee height" all other measurements are optional...
While I used a router, it could be made with whatever tools you have access to...

This reducer was featured in one of the bee magazines back in the '70's. Looked good, made as many as I needed & never looked back.

Attachment Deleted

[bk]

Thanks for sharing, topper.  I think I have another bee project now!  Picture really helps explain.

[farmertrappe]

Interesting, never saw that idea.

[histopicker]

Two of my hives were doing orientation flights yesterday? 68 degrees outside, the girls are loving it. They are still bringing in resources from here and there.

[bk]

Nov 25, 2015 8:03:43 GMT -5 histopicker said:

Two of my hives were doing orientation flights yesterday? 68 degrees outside, the girls are loving it. They are still bringing in resources from here and there.

Now I'm officially jealous, histopicker.  My bees are taking their long winters nap.

Snow and sleet on the way.  Have to mount the snowplow before the storm hits.

[histopicker]

Sorry about that BK. I am installing drip irrigation in my small fruit orchard this week while it is cool outside.

[bk]

histopicker, I have some drip irrigation going on here tonight.  Crud is dripping off the roof and making icicles.    Good luck with your project.  If you get a chance let us know what you did by way of irrigation.  Thinking of doing something in my orchard as well.  Most years I don't need it but on a dry year... that is a different ballgame.

[histopicker]

Nov 26, 2015 19:00:59 GMT -5 bk said:

histopicker, I have some drip irrigation going on here tonight.  Crud is dripping off the roof and making icicles.    Good luck with your project.  If you get a chance let us know what you did by way of irrigation.  Thinking of doing something in my orchard as well.  Most years I don't need it but on a dry year... that is a different ballgame.

every year is a dry year here. I am running 1/2" poly tubing and coming off that with 1/4" tubing with little spray emitters. I need to water them very slowly to get the water to soak down to the roots. It will be a low pressure system. 25psi. The 1/2" tubing is getting buried 1ft. deep. The ground never freezes here more than about an inch so 1ft is plenty deep for irrigation tubing.

[bk]

Thanks, histopicker.

Whe I was in the Middle East there was alot of low pressure irrigation. Most of theirs was 1" (in metric of course) dropping to 1/4" drip ends - usually placed under a rock to counter evaporation. I'm going to look into this for my apples. Will have blow mine out as I get frost to 4 plus feet. Enjoy you dry desert orchard, histopicker.