Hello, any ideas on how to make the flow hive entrance for the bees a bit smaller? Do you get something with the flow hive to do this. Thanks.
I’m not aware of anything being provided by flow to reduce the entrance. There are a few ways in which it can be done, just like on a normal hive: Cut a piece of wood to the length you want and slide into gap, use a mouse guard, use a robbing screen or use tape to hold something to close the entrance.
Adam
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Hi 
you can modify a Langstroth entrance reducer, or cut a length of wood to fit the entrance. We are hoping to have instructions on how to make an entrance reducer soon.
I hope this helps – Leah.
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I rolled up a small piece of screen and hot glued it to keep the roll shape then pushed it into the gap - I saw this somewhere in the forum (to give whoever that was credit)… I liked the screen for hot weather to maintain ventilation and I was planning to use a small piece of foam backer rod for the fall/winter. My hive is elevated so I’m not too worried about rodents.
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Anything sturdy will help the bees regulate the hive temps and potential intruders. Check out the pic I took on a cool morning of two colonies of about the same size:
Positioning your reducer in the middle and leaving openings on either side allows the bees to take advantage of the in- and out-flow of air. In this pic you can see that the one without any reducer is being blocked -across the middle and leaving an opening on either side - by the bees.
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It is good that you are thinking about the entrance size Tracey. A full width entrance is cheaper in manufacturing a hive but far from ideal for the bees. Many decades ago I began experimenting in reducing the size and also making a double entrance with a piece of timber in the middle. I’ve found a double entrance works best as it stops a direct draft onto the brood from prevailing winds. A reduced entrance means less guard bees protecting an oversized entrance that serves no purpose.
You could fit a mouse guard or cut a piece of timber to reduce the entrance, I found a size of about 100mm ideal. Cheers
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Thanks Peter. That is great information.
Leah.
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