# Bee entrance, making smaller **URL:** \ **Category:** Uncategorized\ **Created:** [July 21, 2020, 3:33am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/bee-entrance-making-smaller/26834 "2020-07-21T03:33:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![eweyfam](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/eweyfam/32/22462_2.png) [@eweyfam](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/eweyfam)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2020, 3:33am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/bee-entrance-making-smaller/26834/1 "2020-07-21T03:33:17Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![AdamMaskew](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/adammaskew/32/16818_2.png) [@AdamMaskew](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/AdamMaskew)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2020, 3:35am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/bee-entrance-making-smaller/26834/2 "2020-07-21T03:35:58Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![leahd](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/leahd/32/12278_2.png) [@leahd](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/leahd)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2020, 6:29am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/bee-entrance-making-smaller/26834/3 "2020-07-21T06:29:45Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![chau06](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/chau06/32/25515_2.png) [@chau06](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/chau06)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2020, 12:06pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/bee-entrance-making-smaller/26834/4 "2020-07-21T12:06:50Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Eva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dbc845/32.png) [@Eva](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Eva)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2020, 8:05pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/bee-entrance-making-smaller/26834/5 "2020-07-21T20:05:19Z")
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: ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/honeyflow/original/3X/1/0/10cf7680d6d1edd5d5d31e442ffb726ff340195b.jpeg) 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. ---
**Author:** ![Peter48](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/peter48/32/14625_2.png) [@Peter48](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Peter48)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2020, 11:36pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/bee-entrance-making-smaller/26834/6 "2020-07-21T23:36:38Z")
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 ![2020IMG_09](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/honeyflow/original/3X/d/f/dfeaf282fad06f5f84231641db7e653cd461a341.jpeg) ![2020IMG_011](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/honeyflow/original/3X/7/0/7076d10c96adc897b1e6392640d972756cfb23c7.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![leahd](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/leahd/32/12278_2.png) [@leahd](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/leahd)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2020, 6:27am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/bee-entrance-making-smaller/26834/7 "2020-07-22T06:27:57Z")
Thanks Peter. That is great information. Leah.