Long hives and Screened Bottom Boards

[Michael Bush]

The figure I've seen thrown around for mite drop on a SBB on a standard hive is 30%. Don't you think that this would be MUCH higher on a horizontal hive where there are not so many bees for the mites to catch on on the way down? I have a three box wide medium hive with a SBB that runs the length of it. I would think that gives me three times the chance of them not landing on a bee on the way down.

Of course by this estimate you would just have to make if FOUR boxes wide and you would get 120% of the mites. (can you say diminishing returns?)

Still I think it will help.

[Hillbillynursery]

I agree with your line of thinking but when getting the % of mites that fall it would be a curve when grafted. You would never get 100% but could aproach it. A good way to start getting proof would be measure/ count the drop when using 3 mediums high on a couple of hives(or more for better results) then place the same hive on your new stand/s and see what changes in mite count occur and still have atleast one colony left 3 high instead of long for a control. I think you would have to spread a hive to thin to aproach zero mites.