Uploaded March 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Lets face it, sometimes we run out of time to get things done and with beekeeping, the things everyone says you need to do by a certain date you will find doesn't really matter. When you think of how bees work in the wild, they generally have a small opening ... they doesn't restrict them from bringing in pollen or honey in mass quantities in the wild so why do we have wide open entrances on bee hives? Why do we not use entrance reducers, or why do we use medium openings or small openings? In my experience, bees make it through zone 6b winters down to 0 degrees just fine without any entrance reducer. As proof, we had a pretty rough winter this year and at least 3 of my observation hives were still set with medium openings .... and they are thriving on this warm february day of 50 degrees outside. They made it just fine through 2 different arctic air blasts that both lasted 7-10 days each. Where an entrance reducer does come in handy though is stopping robbing in late fall and and stopping robbing in late winter/early spring where hive numbers are lower and hives are getting lean on resources. If you see any signs of robbing, get on it right away because once it starts its almost impossible to stop. The point of this video is to show you that bees don't need a warm environment over winter like humans, they need plenty of air flow and resources to do their thing.
Lets face it, sometimes we run out of time to get things done and with beekeeping, the things everyone says you need to do by a certain date you will find doesn't really matter. When you think of how bees work in the wild, they generally have a small opening ... they doesn't restrict them from bringing in pollen or honey in mass quantities in the wild so why do we have wide open entrances on bee hives? Why do we not use entrance reducers, or why do we use medium openings or small openings? In my experience, bees make it through zone 6b winters down to 0 degrees just fine without any entrance reducer. As proof, we had a pretty rough winter this year and at least 3 of my observation hives were still set with medium openings .... and they are thriving on this warm february day of 50 degrees outside. They made it just fine through 2 different arctic air blasts that both lasted 7-10 days each. Where an entrance reducer does come in handy though is stopping robbing in late fall and and stopping robbing in late winter/early spring where hive numbers are lower and hives are getting lean on resources. If you see any signs of robbing, get on it right away because once it starts its almost impossible to stop. The point of this video is to show you that bees don't need a warm environment over winter like humans, they need plenty of air flow and resources to do their thing.
