10-Frame Wooden Entrance Reducer

A simple, research-based wooden entrance reducer that helps colonies defend themselves by limiting hive entrance size during vulnerable periods.

Key Features

• Entrance Size Control: Slides into the main bottom board entrance to reduce the hive opening
• Colony Defense Support: Smaller entrance openings are easier for bees to guard against pests and robbing
• Research-Based Design: Entrance dimensions modeled after recommendations from Tom Seeley’s honey bee research
• Starter Colony Friendly: Included in Foxhound Bee Company 10-Frame Beekeeping Kits for new colonies
• Feeder Compatible: Sized to work with stepped entrance feeders while maintaining adequate bee traffic
• Material: Cypress wood

Detailed Description

The 10-Frame Wooden Entrance Reducer is a cypress wood insert designed to slide into the main entrance of a 10-frame bottom board. Its purpose is to reduce the full-width hive entrance to a smaller opening that is more appropriate for developing or smaller colonies.

Reducing the entrance size helps bees defend their hive more effectively. Smaller entrances are easier for guard bees to protect against pests, robbing bees, and other intruders, making entrance reducers especially useful when establishing new colonies or during periods of stress.

This entrance reducer is modeled using research by Dr. Tom Seeley, whose studies on wild honey bee colonies show that bees naturally prefer smaller entrance openings. The dimensions of this reducer are designed to closely match those natural entrance sizes observed in unmanaged colonies.

The entrance opening is also sized to accommodate a stepped entrance feeder, allowing bees to enter and exit freely while feeding without obstruction.

This reducer is included by default in Foxhound Bee Company’s 10-Frame Beekeeping Kits due to its usefulness in early colony management and hive defense.

Learn more about When Do I Add or Remove an Entrance Reducer on our blog.

Check out our other 10 Frame Hive Parts available at our store.