Vertical slatted rack application

[ccar2000]

I am interested in knowing more about employing a vertical slatted rack (VSR) either with or without a Varroa screen.
I see that some use a VSR with a solid bottom board, some with a Varroa screen, some with either #2 or #8 hardware cloth and others just leave it open to the ground below. What are some of the pros and cons of these applications? Also, I understand that bearding is due to an overheating condition within the hive and bearding is in turn reduced by way of a slatted bottom board. So is a climate with high summer temperatures a good application for a VSR?

[Michael Bush]

I never thought in terms of vertical rack... it seems to me what most call a slatted rack would be horizontal. What exactly is a vertical slatted rack? I have followers that are like a slatted rack, which I would consider vertical.

As far as a typical slatted rack and screened bottom boards, Betterbee (and I think some others have taken it up also) runs the slats parallel to frames with the intent that it will allow more Varroa to fall. Personally I don't think a slatted rack makes much difference on Varroa anyway, but if you have a concern with the slats lined up under the frames it won't stop the Varroa falling any more than the frames above did.

[SwedeBee1970]

From my experience with Horizontal bottom screens, it's a nice feature you can check and clean the plastic sliding board without opening the hive. I've encountered a few wax moth remnants and of course bee feces. Also, this plastic slide can be removed in summer/winter for ventilation of hot/cold weather. In place winter time, of course. Haven't discovered any cons yet other than having to clean it a couple times a year.

[ccar2000]

That's right, the slats are actually horizontal and run parallel with the frames. Betterbee calls it a vertical slatted rack.
http://www.betterbee.com/products.asp?dept=308
It does not appear to have a rabbet or dado to slide in a tray or board nor does it appear to have an entrance.
Does #8 hardware cloth refer to the openings per inch which depending upon the wire diameter would give approx 1/8" openings and #2 would work out to 3/8".
If I did not use a bottom board, how would the entrance be configured if the mesh is too small for the bees to get through? I know that some are fans of a wine cork sized upper entrance. Would a series of five or six 3/8 or 1/2" holes drilled into the front of the bottom rack be enough to allow access without causing a traffic jam? I figure I can always block some of them in the winter time to prevent robbing.

[PCM]

#8 woven wire means 8 wires to the inch
#7 " " " 7 " " " "
#6 " " " 6 " " " " bees can get thru, used pollen traps
#1/4 " " " 4 " " " " called 1/4 in.
#1/2 " " " 2 " " " " " 1/2 "

PCM

[jdpro5010]

Swedebee, if you have bee feces in your hive or screened bottom board the bees are in trouble.

[SwedeBee1970]

The feces falls through the screen. The bees can't reach this to clean. They're fine.

[Omie]

It does not appear to have a rabbet or dado to slide in a tray or board nor does it appear to have an entrance....
If I did not use a bottom board, how would the entrance be configured if the mesh is too small for the bees to get through?

The bees enter the hive above the screen but under the slatted rack.

My setup is this:
Solid bottom board on the very bottom.
Screen bottom board on top of that.
Slatted rack on top of that.
The the deep brood boxes.

A plastic tray can slide in the gap between the 2 bottom boards, as shown on the BetterBee site on their varroa screen page.

The bees entrance is between the screen board and the slatted rack, and can be left wide open or reduced as desired. No need to drill entrance holes.

[Dave W]

What do bee feces that falls through the screen look like?

[Omie]

I was under the impression that bees don't poop inside the hive. :s

And if not, then what does the queen do- go on cleansing flights? Or are her royal turds carted out of the hive by handmaidens, arranged on golden trays? :lpf:

[SwedeBee1970]

That's a good one. Royal turds.

I'm sure the RTs get swept out along with all the drones and trash.

[Michael Bush]

So apparently they call it "vertical" because things can fall vertically even though it's actually laying horizontally.

[jdpro5010]

Omie, bees DO NOT relieve themselves in the hive unless something like Nosema or other dysfunction have hit the hive and yes in fact they do carry the RT from her highness out of the hive. If you see feces in a hive chances are that something is wrong with it. I myself have only ever seen the brown spots on the snow in the middle of the winter. I have never seen it in a healthy hive!

[Dave W]

Bees do not poop inside hive unless there are problems, and when there are problems they dont poop turds :)


The only way I can understand "vertical" when describing a slatted rack, is when rack is positioned horizontally over the BB it increases hive's height "vertically".


I think "bee turds" and "Vertical" slatted rack may have something in common :)

[StevenG]

Once I got a (donated) load of "super sheep" from a local farmer to fertilize my backyard garden... I assume thinking about bee poop to even fertilize a tomato plant is out of the question? :lpf::lpf::lpf: