# Flow Hive Classic entrance height? **URL:** \ **Category:** Flow Hive\ **Tags:** winter\ **Created:** [November 22, 2020, 1:04pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/flow-hive-classic-entrance-height/28445 "2020-11-22T13:04:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FlyBoysHoney](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/flyboyshoney/32/23614_2.png) [@FlyBoysHoney](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/FlyBoysHoney)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2020, 1:04pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/flow-hive-classic-entrance-height/28445/1 "2020-11-22T13:04:08Z")
Good morning, Entering our first winter (New England, USA) with our flow hives and want to reduce the entrances. Does anyone know the height of the entrance on a Classic (original)? Thank You ---
**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:** [November 22, 2020, 2:06pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/flow-hive-classic-entrance-height/28445/2 "2020-11-22T14:06:05Z")
There have been a lot of posts about this but I can’t find the actual dimensions - I am not sure that just tucking a little bit of grass into the opening isn’t just as good of a solution. That way the bees can open it up on their own if they want to. ---
**Author:** ![FlyBoysHoney](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/flyboyshoney/32/23614_2.png) [@FlyBoysHoney](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/FlyBoysHoney)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2020, 2:55pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/flow-hive-classic-entrance-height/28445/3 "2020-11-22T14:55:24Z")
Searched every word combo I could think of. Figured I wouldn’t have been the first to ask this. I really like that idea of something the bees can manipulate too. ---
**Author:** ![Dawn\_SD](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/dawn_sd/32/15954_2.png) [@Dawn\_SD](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Dawn_SD)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2020, 5:09pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/flow-hive-classic-entrance-height/28445/4 "2020-11-22T17:09:18Z")
Mine is 11mm at the outside and 9mm at the inside edge. 😊 > [@Made an entrance reducer](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/made-an-entrance-reducer/5755/70): > > This one looks the best option to me, but I haven’t tried it myself. I might get one at some point to try it out. The other 3 products that you linked won’t work. The beethinking one is too thick (tall), and the larger Brushy mountain one doesn’t line up properly on the Flow entrance (I have one, so I know from direct experience). The smaller Brushy Mountain one is designed to attach to an existing wood entrance reducer, so that won’t work either - it won’t be big enough. If you have any abil… ---
**Author:** ![Rmcpb](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/rmcpb/32/3147_2.png) [@Rmcpb](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Rmcpb)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2020, 11:44pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/flow-hive-classic-entrance-height/28445/5 "2020-11-22T23:44:34Z")
Either stuff some grass in the entrance or tack a piece of wood over the entrance to reduce it. It does not have to be a work of art, just close the entrance down. Cheers Rob. ---
**Author:** ![Dawn\_SD](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/dawn_sd/32/15954_2.png) [@Dawn\_SD](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Dawn_SD)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 12:27am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/flow-hive-classic-entrance-height/28445/6 "2020-11-23T00:27:35Z")
> [@Rmcpb](#): > > It does not have to be a work of art Ah but it does if you are as OCD as I am… 🤪 ---
**Author:** ![Rmcpb](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/rmcpb/32/3147_2.png) [@Rmcpb](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Rmcpb)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 4:23am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/flow-hive-classic-entrance-height/28445/7 "2020-11-23T04:23:17Z")
Maybe you need a neater piece of wood than the rest of us then Dawn 😂 And matching tacks… ---
**Author:** ![Eva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dbc845/32.png) [@Eva](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Eva)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 1:32pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/flow-hive-classic-entrance-height/28445/8 "2020-11-23T13:32:41Z")
I started out with a stack of paint stir-sticks snapped off to the right length & jammed into the entrance. Turns out I’ve been avoiding using my Flow bottom board due to needing this hack plus deciding to move away from the screen-and-core flute system. Another factor is when you have several hives and can’t predict which one will gear up for Flow super placement, the bottom board type becomes arbitrary and you just shim up the front to create the proper angle when it’s time to harvest. Grass will work, but don’t forget to also rig a mouse guard (traditional ones won’t work because of the slope) or you’ll hand the little buggers a hunk of bedding along with the cozy hideaway your hive will become if they can get in! Companies that sell traditional Lang equipment here always give you a free entrance reducer with your purchase of a bottom board. These fit nicely and have different notches for various configurations. After advice from @JeffH I now use a 5” or so segment of these, placed in the center of the entrance to create two openings on either end, to accommodate the bees’ HVAC efforts. For winter I plug each side with a piece of rigid foam insulation leaving one bee-sized hole on either end. Keeps mice and big drafts out, easy to pop out in spring. A lot of detail about a small space 😄 - just wanted to give some context for what I’d advise: make a properly fitted 5” piece of wood for your Flow hive, leave it in the center of the entrance all year round, adding sturdy but removable side plugs for winter 👍