Wire in the Bottom Board

[Texas Bee]

I know this has been discussed a dozen times, But. The wire size is this important. Is 1/4 x 1/4 in. to big for the bottom board.

I have a roll of 1/8 x 1/8 in. as well. The SHB's seem to be able to walk around on the 1/8 x 1/8 , and not fall down to the ground, due to their size.

Looking for a push in the right direction.

[Ross]

SBB were originally for varroa, not SHB. SHB can fly, so nothing will really keep them out. 1/4 will work, but will allow for more robbing if that becomes a problem for you. I use 1/8 on mine.

[Texas Bee]

Thanks ross, that would be a problem, coming from under the hive.
I think I will use the 1/8 in. wire.

[summer1052]

I have seen SHB go through 1/8 mesh, back and forth. I am considering building my own with denser screen, like window screen.

GL,
Summer

[Ross]

If you go tighter than 1/8", varroa can't fall through. Now some believe that's not an issue anyway. If ventilation is all you want, anything will work.

[beemandan]

I have seen SHB go through 1/8 mesh, back and forth. I am considering building my own with denser screen, like window screen.

GL,
Summer

If you decide to try the smaller mesh I'd be interested in hearing how it works out. If you don't go too small I think that varroa might still fall through. Window screen might be too small. On the other hand I believe that restricting the movement of SHB would be good. The real question, in my mind, is at what size opening will the bees begin to patch it up with propolis? They seem to do it a bit around the edges at 1/8in but don't go far inward.
Anyway....just a thought.

[Gene Weitzel]

Most the SHB I have observed entering the hive fly in at the same entrance as the bees. They seem to prefer it since they don't have to stop and crawl in and risk being intercepted by a guard bee.

[beemandan]

Most the SHB I have observed entering the hive fly in at the same entrance as the bees. They seem to prefer it since they don't have to stop and crawl in and risk being intercepted by a guard bee.

While I wouldn't argue with your statement, I've seen bees attempting to sequester shb along the bottom of the brood box. When the bees get to be too bothersome to the shb they'll just slip through the screened bottom and return somwhere there doesn't seem to be as much bee pressure. Their ability to slip in and out to evade pursuing bees via the screen seems, in my mind, to be a potentially serious problem with the screened bottoms.

[Gene Weitzel]

While I wouldn't argue with your statement, I've seen bees attempting to sequester shb along the bottom of the brood box. When the bees get to be too bothersome to the shb they'll just slip through the screened bottom and return somwhere there doesn't seem to be as much bee pressure. Their ability to slip in and out to evade pursuing bees via the screen seems, in my mind, to be a potentially serious problem with the screened bottoms.

I have found that if one has the time, you can slide an insert under the screen with a layer of fluffy DE. It will effectively trap a large percentage of the beetles that slip through the screen to get away from the bees. Once I hit a 50+ hive count, this was not a doable option for me, so I now just keep the hives in full sun and combine weak hives quickly to stay ahead of them. In our East Texas high heat/humidity I have to run all my hives with an open SBB for ventilation. I have found that the bees are even able to propolise them into the corners of the SBB if the hive is strong. I have one feral hive that I have watched the bees dismember the SHB, which I did not think was possible until I witnessed it myself (the bee actually tore off the wing covers of the beetle in order to get to the soft tissue beneath and kill it).

[Ross]

Got video? I see a Utube coming

[Gene Weitzel]

Got video? I see a Utube coming

I just bought a new digital camera that takes pretty good video. The last time I looked at this hive, I did not see a single SHB (the hive is quite strong, it was a cutout I did last August and it took 17 deep frames to accommodate all their brood and they have not slowed down any this year), so I don't know if I can capture what I saw before, but I will try to be prepared for it. It really was astonishing to me as in 100% of my other hives, they just sequester them.