Making screened bottom boards

[JimH]

I know everyone suggests using 1/8" mesh for the bottom screen and, I know I can get 1/8" on the internet with a delivery time of about a week. I have looked everywhere within a 50 mi. radius of where I live and can only find 1/4" mesh. My question is will 1/4" work? I wanted to start on this project this evening and can get the mesh on my way home.
Does anyone have any experience with 1/4" mesh?
Thanks,
Jim

[amymcg]

There are some pros and cons:

Pros:

Mites fall through big openings as well as smaller openings

Hive Debris falls through, you won't have to clean your bottom board.

Cons:

#4 Mesh is big enough for the bees to fit through, if you have a weak colony, they can be robbed from the bottom, it's too big an area to protect.

[hrogers]

Howdy Jim --

1/8" will not let beetles fall through. 1/4" is too big. Too many bees want to see what's in the basement. I suggest 1/6" from BetterBee/

Doc

[Michael Bush]

Bees will go through anything smaller than #7. If you don't mind bees using the bottom for an entrance...

[honeyman46408]

In the craft section at Wall Mart they have a plastic #7 mesh but it is not big enough to cover the hole bottom but would work if you are converting existing bottom boards.

[JimH]

Found a hardware store that ordered some #8 for a customer(beek), I bought the balance (50'). It's going to ice storm here this weekend so, I'll be busy building bottom boards in the garage.

Thanks for all of your help. Your advice is greatly appreciated.
Jim

[Janice Lane]

Does anyone know what mesh small cell bees will fit through? I have 1/8 at the moment... the male beetles fall through to the oil trap below, but not the female beetles.

Anybody made an observation hive with a screened bottom?

[ January 14, 2007, 07:02 AM: Message edited by: Janice Lane ]

[Michael Bush]

>Does anyone know what mesh small cell bees will fit through?

The smallest is #6 or #7 with a slightly bent wire. smile.gif But they can't get through them very easily. It takes #5 for them to get through very well and then they lose their pollen. It takes #4 for an easy passage.

[sierrabees]

<Anybody made an observation hive with a screened bottom?>

I made one last fall. It is a modified observation hive that has a cover for a five frame nuc as it's base with a queen excluder between the two frame observation section and a SBB under the nuc. I am hopeing to be able to keep the queen below most of the time and only move her up to the glassed in area if I want to use the hive for demonstration purposes. The frames are interchangable between the nuc and the observation portion. I haven't had a chance to try it yet.