THOUSAND ANSWERS 
79 
A. Not if the entrance-guard is perfect and the queen of nor- 
mal size. Some have thought that when a queen is not laying, 
her abdomen consequently smaller than usual, she might get 
through a perforation smaller than when in full laying. But it is 
not the size of the abdomen that prevents her passage, it is the 
thorax. The abdomen is soft and yielding, and when at the 
largest it will easily flatten out to go through any perforation 
large enough to allow the passage of the thorax. The thorax is 
a sort of bony structure, which is the same whether the queen is 
laying little or much. 
Entrances. — Q. I have contracted the entrances to all hives of 
colonies that need feeding or that are weak in bees. The strong 
colonies don’t need any contracting, do they? 
A. It is not so important to lessen the entrance, as to avoid 
everything that may start robbing. This year my nuclei have the 
same entrance as the full colonies — 12 by 2 inches — and there has 
also been one case of robbing at a full colony with a normal lay- 
ing queen. Very likely some unwise thing had been done to start 
the robbing. 
Q. Do you contract the entrance in the spring during cool 
nights? If so, how much? Is it not a good plan to contract the 
entrance on account of robber-bees in spring? 
A. Yes, just as soon as my bees are taken out of the cellar 
the entrances are contracted to a hole three-quarters to one inch 
square. It helps against robbing and keeps the bees warmer, 
day and night. 
Q. Would you contract a wide entrance during a cool spell in 
summer? 
A. No. Takes too much work. But if I had only a few colo- 
nies, and worked them as a sort of pastime, I might change the 
entrance according to the weather. 
Q. Is there any advantage to have the entrance 1 l / 2 inches 
deep and full width of hive? 
A. Yes; it gives chance for better ventilation in hot weather, 
and also in winter, if you winter in the cellar. But you cannot 
have V/ 2 inches under bottom-bars in summer unless you have 
some provision to prevent the bees building down. 
Q. Should I diminish the entrance of the hive in winter? 
(California.) 
A. In your locality probably no contraction is needed. 
Q. Should the entrance be 1x5 inches, with a wire-cloth in it 
to prevent mice entering? 
