double screens and varroa

[Old Buzzard]

I have started keeping bees again this year after a several year hiatus.(back in the good old days before varroa) I have pulled out my old bee keeping books and that has inspired me to consider setting up some two queen colonies ,with a double screen next year.(us bee keepers are an optimistic bunch aren't we?) I understand that a screened bottom board is one method used in keeping mites under control. If I understand correctly the mites fall through and can't get back in the hive. So my questions would be this: 1. Would the double screen work on the same principle, only now the mites would be dropping on the bees below? 2. If so would the population density of mites be greater in the bottom section than it would if you had a normal single queen colony?

[Michael Bush]

In theory. But typical hives are vertical already and mites already fall down onto the bees below. Of course, in this case those bees can't come back up I guess?

Search on two queen hives and you'll find a lot of discussion on them. I wouldn't do it with a double screen unless you're going to do the Snelgrove method and just harvest workers off of the top hive for the bottom hive.

[Old Buzzard]

What I was considering was the double screen method as described by Walter T. Kelley in “How to Keep Bees and Sell Honey”.Since you got me headed in the right direction on the forum(all of the discussion on two queen colonies) There is much more to consider. I am glad that I was thinking of NEXT year, it will probably take me that long to weigh the options. http://www.beesource.com/ubb/smile.gif Thank you for the information.