SBB vs screen bottom

[cdanderson]

I am curious as to why one would use the Slatted bottom board instead of the screened bottom board ?

[Ben Brewcat]

Good question. Perhaps the slatted boards may have been an earlier or parallel innovation? But IMO they lack some advantages of the SBB such as mite monitoring. With a traditional bottom, the added space for fanning bees (and maybe draft control from the entrance) may have been helpful but I think the much-increased ventilation from an open SBB outstrips the slatted rack by a good margin.

[Tia]

I use slatted racks in concert with sbb's. I buy the ones from Betterbee because the slats run with the frames, allowing varroa to drop to the sbb. I keep saying this, but since I've put slatted racks on, my bees never beard. . .even though they're smack in the sum in the 90 degree temps we've had for the past two weeks. They would be bearding like crazy if I used only sbb's.

[Michael Bush]

A SBB (Screened Bottom Board) is a bottom board. A Slatted Rack is not a bottom board. You can combine a Slatted Rack on top of a SBB for a bottom or you can use a SBB by itself. Or you can put some screen on the bottom of the Slatted Rack and use it for a bottom and make a top entrance.

The slatted rack makes more cluster space for the bees. It also helps with ventilation. The SBB makes ventilation but no additional cluster space.

[cdanderson]

Thank you.. so the slatted board doesnt "usually" stand alone as a bottom board while the screened one can. Also, the slatted allows the extra "cluster space" which I know what that means but havent really learned yet why and when one needs it.:D

thanks for the info

[Michael Bush]

If you take a hive that is bearding and all the bees, rather than gathering nectar are hanging on the outside of the hive, and you add a slatted rack you will see a noticable difference in the number bees bearding.

If you take a hive that is bearding and all the bees, rather than gathering nectar are hanging on the outside of the hive, and you add a SBB you will see a noticable difference in the number bees bearding.

If you take a hive that is bearding and all the bees, rather than gathering nectar are hanging on the outside of the hive, and you add both a slatted rack and a SBB you will see a even more difference in the number bees bearding.

Lack of ventilation and lack of space contribute to swarming. Improving cluster space and ventilation will HELP with preventing swarming. It will not prevent it by itself, but it will contribute.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesswarmcontrol.htm

If you have only top entrances (as I do) then simply adding #8 hardware cloth to the bottom of the slatted rack will accomplish the same thing as the slatted rack and the SBB put together.