Screened bottom boards

[Pepper1079]

Do you take them off for the winter or leave them on???

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Jim

[dragonfly]

The info I have read says to leave them on during winter "in most parts of the country". I guess that means anywhere that does not have really sustained freezing temperatures for a long period of time. I plan to leave them on, but I'm in an area where the temps rarely drop below freezing, and when it is cold, it just lasts for a few days at a time.

[Michael Bush]

That partly depends on how well sealed up the bottom is. If you have a screen with something pretty well air tight under it it might work ok, but if not, I'd put something less drafty on. But that depends on how cold it gets in your part of the country.

[Pepper1079]

My hives are totally open on the bottom. I have put bottom boards on in the past for winter. I have seen several articles that say to leave the sbb on year round. I really don't want to make a mistake. I may leave them on a few hives to see.

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Jim

[dickm]

I modified some standard bottoms to make my sbbs. Then I added some slotted cleats with a sliding 1/4 inch plywood bottom I could slide in and out, under the screen. I just finished closing them off for the winter. I read of one dude from New Hampshire that left them open all winter without bad effects.

[Pepper1079]

Thanks Dick, I'm going to leave them open this winter and try them. I have heard from a number that leacve them open with good results.

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Jim

[BILLY BOB]

I left one of my hives open all last winter and they did great. I'm planning on keeping all of them open this year.

[Hook]

I am going to leave mine open as well. I plan on keeping the entrance reduced, to cut down on wind, as well as mice. I also have mine on hive stands, that are pretty well closed up. That should also cut down on any updrafts. Here in PA, we also will get some snow, and that will help seal the bottom up too. Live and learn!


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Dale Richards
Dal-Col Apiaries
Drums, PA

[Jorge]

Hi there,

Can anybody tell me where you get the recommended 1/8" x 1/8" galvanized hardware cloth for the screen on the bottom boards, please?

I have asked at Home Depot and Ace hardware stores and they look at me as if I came from Jupiter, claiming that 1/16" x 1/16" window screening material is all they have. Will this type of screen work? I imagine the holes are to small for the mites to fall through easily. Then again, the holes are not that big and the bees can probably walk more easily on them.
Thanks

Jorge

[Pepper1079]

Hi Jorge, You might check around some of the local hardware stores.The big boys don't carry it. Some of the bee supply stores should have it. Good luck

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Jim

[Pepper1079]

One more thing. I don't think I would use screen wire. It would collect to many particles.

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Jim

[Michael Bush]

There seem to be two kinds of hardware stores. The ones that only carry what they turn over quickly and the ones that have everything. I bought a whole roll of 1/8 hardware cloth (although they sell it by the foot) at a local hardware store, but it was the 10th place I looked. The lumber yards, the yuppie lumber yards, the yuppie hardware stores didn't have any.

[dragonfly]

I looked all over every major building supply in the city nearest me, then found out that the local small-town 100 yr old hardware store carried it. My suggestion is to find the oldest hardware store in your area and try it first. The window screen openings are too small, and from my understanding, the mites don't fall through it easily.

[Jorge]

Thanks for the replies. I will keep looking.
I must say that i love this discussion list. It is more informative than a lot of books on beekeeping put together. This kind of info about the right wires and so on are not normally found anywhere else. Plus, the ones that I would think are experts don't "e-behave" like such. I wish more car mechanics where like that

Thanks again

jorge