Project Description
Langstroth Hive 8 Frame Reducers
Entrance reducers are used by beekeepers to minimize the entrance to a hive. Two seperate notches on the entrance reducer give the beekeeper an option to have a medium entrance size or by rotating the bar 90°, a very small entrance.
Measure 3/4-inch thick. Fitting snuggly againts the bottom board, but loose enough to allow the beekeeper to remove it easily.
Our entrance reducer offers two sizes for reduced entrance space. Use during robbing season, as a help to a weak colony, or to minimize the amount of air flowing in the hive.
Made of clear western red cedar or Cypress.
Features 4.5″ and .75″ reduced entrance sizes. 2 entrance options – one for late summer and one for fall/winter
Available in 8-frame or 10-frame lengths.
Diomensions: 12 1/2 x 3/4″ x 3/4″
Beekeepers are told to put an entrance reducer on each hive before winter starts. Oft citing the need for an entrance reducer is to keep rodents out. It certainly does do that, but that’s not why we use them.
- The population of a hive naturally ebbs and flows throughout the year, creating an ever-changing work force of bees responsible for guarding the hive. Decreasing as winter looms or the colony is being weakened.
- Whole colonies can take a turn for the worse quickly and new colonies are being started yearly, because of this, beekeepers are often supporting weak or small colonies. As the bees keeper, we have a responsibility to support them as best we can.
For these two reasons, we use entrance reducers year around. To be proactive in case of decreasing populations and to protect weak, small, growing hives. Only removing entrance reducers during periods of high nectar flows concurring simultaneously with a large colony. When we see bees struggling to find a way inside the entrance because too many bees are coming and going, that is typically the only time we remove the entrance reducer.