No one has mentioned that bees will chew on some parts of the hive.  If
there is a crack where the boxes to not fit together tightly bees may
attempt to enlarge this gap to create an entrance.  Such locations are
usually at the ends of the frames or corner of the box where the box end is
only 3/8ths inches thick and under the hive cover.  If this 3/8th wood
doesn't fit tightly to the box side they will attempt to chew the wood to
create an entrance/exit.  If the hive entrance is less than 3/8ths inch, the
bees will also round off the inside corner of the hive body end in an
attempt to enlarge the entrance.  I've seen the wood completely rounded off
to a sharp edge in the bees' attempt to enlarge the entrance.  Bees more
often chew on cedar box parts and lids than on pine equipment.

James C. Bach
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