Wire bottome board

[New in KY]

What are your comments on using wire bottom boards??

[Michael Bush]

I'm going to try them this year on some hives, but I haven't had any actual experience with them. I think it's helpful with the mites. Also some studies show the hive makes more brood. I think this is a ventilation thing and I've always tried to have ventilation with ventilation boxes on top etc. (see postings on DE Hive etc.) I'm not so sure I agree with leaving them open in the winter in cold country like this, but in the south it seems to work for people to leave them open all year 'round.

If I were buying a bottom board, I'd buy one of the Screened Bottom boards that come with a board to put underneath or I'd buy one without and cut some cardboard to fit underneath and staple some twine on in a "Z" formation to hold it underneath. Then I'd just use the board to close it when starting a hive and during the winter.

[Pepper1079]

I have been using sbb's for 2 years. I left them on this past winter and they did fine. I can find no fault with them at all.

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Jim

[MountainCamp]

Jim,
What kind of temperatures and snow load do you see in the winter?

Thanks,
Scott

[New in KY]

Thank you for your insights!! IPM bottom boards came with our kits and Kentucky winters can be very unpredictable, thus my concern. Cardboard could very easily be inserted as insulation if the need should arise. Since the string is already attached this should pose no problem. Thank you so much for your advice.

[Jack Grimshaw]

Checked two hives tonight after work.42 degrees.Too cold to open.Pulled the tray under the screened BB.I saw pollen so they're collecting.I saw wax flakes so I know its been to cold to forage much and they're eating stores.Isaw no mites and no wax moths.Isaw no fecal droppings so no dysentry.All witout opening the hive. Jack

[mark williams]

I've built some sbb,& have some that not.I've watched them close,& as far as mine is concern I cannot tell that much diff-in them.the one thing I do like about the sbb is if you move the bee's around (I do some pollition-with my hives)is the vent when you close the front,other than that I won't spend the extra money it cost for sbb's, mark

[New in KY]

Identifying substances on the tray under the screened BB seems to be so easy for an experienced beekeeper. As a beginner what do we look for and what does each tell us?? Describe a mite, signs of other problems. Your help can help us know how to treat our new bees.

[Michael Bush]

>Describe a mite, signs of other problems.

It's hard to describe a varroa mite until you see one. They are just a speck. Usually a reddish brown speck (adult). Once you've seen one it helps a lot.

Tracheal mites are not visible.

Dysentry is yellow to yellowish brown streaks like it was liquid. Smaller, but not that different from people with dysentry.

Fecal dropings from wax moths are little brown to black specks. Once you've seen them in the coccons you'll know what they look like. When you think about it they look like small feces.

Wax flakes on the bottom board show that the bees are eating stores. They are white to yelowish brown. If you take some and squeeze them together it's obvious they are wax.

Normally if there has been some warm days there will be very few dead bees on the bottom because they will clean them off. If it's been cold and they have been clustered there are always more dead bees than if it's been warm and they've had a chance to clean them up. A lot of dead bees is a bad sign (duh!). Also, look for dead mites.

Sometimes you even see a live wax worm larvae on the bottom board.

If you pay attention you'll get so you recognize all of these things eventually, but describing them is difficult.

[New in KY]

Thank you Michael:

Since ours are new package bees that have been treated we should not have any problems until later. When we insert the tray under the screened BB to check we will know what to look for and how to identify each substance, hopefully. At what intervals should we do this checking.

[Michael Bush]

When you get around to it. At first you will probably mess with the hives more than necessary for the bees, because you want to observe and learn what they are doing. This is useful for you, but not necessarily for them. Later you'll reach the point when you mess with the hives less than you really should because you're busy and not as curious. All in all, they take good care of themselves anyway, except for the mite problems.

[Joel Acheson]

On the topic of open screen bottom boards, I can't give any personal experience, but in the past on another chat site a member from Sweden related his experiences, and he uses no other type of bottom board. Said that his winter survival rates went up when he made the change-over. They have very severe winters compared to anything except Minnesota, here. I am going to put all of mine on open screen bb's this year.
Joel

[denise_ky]

After ventilation problems this past winter I decided to go the SBB route. I think I will keep them on all winter also. Where in KY are you?
Denise

[New in KY]

Denise:

Glad to hear from a KY beekeeper!! We are in Morehead--Cave Run Lake Area. Do not personally know a beekeeper in our area.

[The Honey House]

What is the purpose of the screen?
Couldn't a modified slated rack be used?



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Dave Verville
Fremont, NH USA

[Michael Bush]

The original purpose of a Screened Bottom Board (SSB) was for mite drop. The bees groom the mites off and they fall through the screen onto either the ground or a board 3/4" below the screened bottom. The discovery the the better ventilation was helpful was just a side benifit. I think a slatted rack on top of a sceened bottom board would be helpful for cutting down on drafts while allowing the mite drop.

[denise_ky]

New in KY,
Send me a personal e-mail if I can ever help you. I've been keeping bees for 7 years--I'm in the Elizabethtown area.
Denise