Hello Ron & All,

  His observations have lead to a number of conclusions with
> respect to "what the bees like".  The first thing he tells you is throw
away
> your bottom boards.  The bottom entrance is there for the beekeeper not
>the  bees.  They prefer a smaller  opening near the top of the brood nest
<rather  than the bottom. All his commercial hives (he produces some honey
>and does  pollination) have plywood bottoms with no openings, except for a
>small one  near the top.

I believe the above statement "he produces some honey" sums up the above.
When the honey flow is on you need all the entrance you can get. 40 to
60,000 bees trying to get thru a 1 in. hole doesn't make sense to me.
Second in hot weather (like Missouri) bees use the full width to circulate
air to remove moisture and ventilate the hive. Although I also have seen
hives in buildings with only a small entrance most I have seen have got two
small entrances.
In my opinion plywood bottoms with no entrance would be a problem to keep
free of hive debre on all but the strongest hives.
Sincerely,
Bob Harrison
Odessa, Missouri
Ps. I think the next hive I find in a building I will enlarge the entrance
and improve on nature. Then the bees can propolis the entrance down in
winter and open up in summer.