Editing Horizontal top-bar hive (section)

====Entrance====

Top hives have entrances that are a small slot or a number of holes of an inch in diameter or thereabouts, which more closely mimics what honey bees prefer in nest cavities.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://articles.extension.org/pages/21753/the-bee-nest-basic-bee-biology-for-beekeepers |title = The Bee Nest (Basic Bee Biology for Beekeepers) – eXtension}}</ref>

The brood nest will be established nearest the entrance. If the entrance is at the narrow end of the hive, the honey storage will be deep in the hive beyond the brood nest combs. Typically inspections will then begin with either the beginning of the brood nest at the front, or with the end of the honey storage at the rear. If the entrance is placed in the center of the long wall, the brood nest will be at the center, and the honey storage will be on either side. As it is not possible to safely remove a bar from the middle of the occupied combs, due to possible side attachments, this means the inspection can begin on either side of the honey storage and there are fewer before the brood nest is reached.

The entrance should not be placed high on the hive as this will allow the escape of winter heat (but see <ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.bushfarms.com/beestopbarhives.htm |title = Beekeeping in top bar hives, Michael Bush}}</ref>) for an alternative perspective).

The bees will be able to keep a top bar hive cool enough with only three holes of {{convert|1|in}} diameter. They do so by both lining up to fan cool air into the hive and exhaust warm air, and by evaporation<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2098161-bees-spew-water-at-their-hive-mates-when-the-temperature-rises/|title=Bees spew water at their hive-mates when the temperature rises}}</ref> – essentially air-conditioning the hive. It is possible to have too small of an entrance, such as a {{convert|4|in|adj=on}} slot of only {{convert|3/8|to|1/2|in}}, and this did result in combs falling from the bars in the heat. It also resulted in much traffic back up at the entrance.

It is suggested that bees in a Kenyan hive will have much less tendency to adhere comb to the sides of the hive. Once adhered comb is freed from the side (leaving a beespace) the bees tend to not rejoin the comb, so this is not a significant problem for either hive. It is important in either type that end access or some free space without comb is available so adhered comb may be freed.