Collecting bees on outside of screened bottom board?

**Splatt** · 07-14-2012, 08:20 AM

I have a small cluster of bees clinging to the outside of my screened bottom board. Due to the robbing I've been undergoing I had to close my hive up quick, and I believe these are some of my bees that didn't get back inside before the robbing screens went on. They've been there for three days now, and I'd like to collect them and put them back inside the hive. My little hive needs all the beepower it can get.

Is there a way to get them off the screen? I've tried brushing them off, but they fly right back. I thought about a vacuum, but my shop vac will likely kill them (and probably won't do the bees inside the hive much good, either). Should I try brushing them off at night into a box? Or just forget about it?

One thing I noticed is that the cluster moves about the bottom of the hive. This morning they were clustered around one spot. Yesterday morning it was another. I assume they're following the queen, and if so, that's a relief....

**spieker** · 07-14-2012, 08:50 AM

I have had the same thing happen. I put a type of container like a plastic butter container under the bees right up against the screened bottom board. Then, knock them into the container by moving the container against the bees that are inside gently.

**Ben Brewcat** · 07-14-2012, 08:55 AM

It's happened occasionally to me too. Place the tele cover on the ground as usual. Put the hive bodies diagonally on the tele. Take the now-freed SBB and shake the cluster onto the hive bodies. Reassemble hive. Brushing off of #8 seems to never work well.

**Splatt** · 07-14-2012, 09:01 AM

Thanks. I'll give the dish a try first, as I don't want to completely open the hive up for long periods of time, if I can avoid it.

**Vance G** · 07-14-2012, 11:17 AM

Boy those screened bottom boards must be marvelous things if people will tolerate the slow buildup and all the other problems associated with them. I figure I am just not worthy of all their benefits.

**casinoken** · 07-14-2012, 12:21 PM

No problems here in Mississippi with screened bottom boards Vance. Notice that the poste had a robbing problem which caused them to shut out foragers. Where u are located, I could see problems with SBBs, but here in the deep south, where we basically have no winter, if u don't have screened bottom boards, for the most part, u won't have bees. Slow build up here happens on solid boards, followed by a quick die off or swarm from heat. Just trying to say u should check all factors before making an uninformed opinion about the use of equipment.

**Ben Brewcat** · 07-14-2012, 01:56 PM

Originally Posted by Vance G

Boy those screened bottom boards must be marvelous things if people will tolerate the slow buildup and all the other problems associated with them. I figure I am just not worthy of all their benefits.

Wow. You must have gotten ones with permethrin misters installed?.

Haven't seen "all the problems" you are seeing; I run both screened and trad bottoms and the SBBs typically outperform the solids. Opinions, experience and preferences will vary. Just my $.02, use the change to feed the sarcasm meter

.

**Vance G** · 07-14-2012, 07:07 PM

I wish you all well with them. I am sure that all those people accross the northern tier starting packages on SBB's benefit from the bees inability to heat a brood nest large enough to rapidly expand. Bees are masters at causing air circulation in fairly enclosed areas. SBB's are a fine religion, you are welcome to it. Those in the feverswamp probably need more ventilation granted. I doubt that cool mountain nights are of benefit to bees brooding up.

**Bleemus** · 07-14-2012, 07:19 PM

The screened bottom boards I have on a few of my hives here in frosty Vermont have planks I can slide in for the colder weather. Best of both worlds. Was 93 degrees here today and having those boards out makes all the difference.

**Nantom670** · 07-14-2012, 07:55 PM

I am like Bleemus, I use one sbb and have a solid board that I can slide under that if I want to or just pull the sbb off. But I have noticed whether I use the sbb or leave it on and place my solid board under it, there are some bees that like to deliver their nectar and pollen from under the wire. That is no problem for them and some of them like to stay under the wire all the time. I have not had them over the winter yet, so I cannot speak on that. But I do not think that one can say that those bees under the wire are from another hive, besides what would they gain from staying there?

**Bees&Wood** · 07-14-2012, 08:05 PM

You might want to check that cluster of bees. We had two wild swarms go under one of our hives this year, I can only assume they were trying to move in and take over the hive. One of them we didn't catch cause we didn't find it in time and our bees killed the queen. The other one we were able to get into a jester, although it wasn't that easy to get up under our hive stand to catch them. We now make it a habit to look under our hives when we go down there. We usually do see some bees hanging out down under there, not enough to be alarming, but does make us wonder what they're doing.....

**Splatt** · 07-15-2012, 08:48 PM

Originally Posted by Vance G

I wish you all well with them. I am sure that all those people accross the northern tier starting packages on SBB's benefit from the bees inability to heat a brood nest large enough to rapidly expand. Bees are masters at causing air circulation in fairly enclosed areas. SBB's are a fine religion, you are welcome to it. Those in the feverswamp probably need more ventilation granted. I doubt that cool mountain nights are of benefit to bees brooding up.

Nah, just as a new beekeeper I wanted to try one out. With the temperature hitting 103 and all the local hives bearding, I thought I'd give my little hive some ventilation so they didn't have to expend as much energy cooling it.

**Splatt** · 07-15-2012, 08:50 PM

Originally Posted by Bees&Wood

You might want to check that cluster of bees. We usually do see some bees hanging out down under there, not enough to be alarming, but does make us wonder what they're doing.....

I wonder, too. It's getting bigger, probably 300 bees now. This afternoon I thought about putting them into an empty super to "graft" them into my hive, just in case they're not local.

**julysun** · 07-15-2012, 09:40 PM

I suppose living where your two seasons are winter and the fourth of July would call for tighter boxes for your girls. Here we also have two seasons, to whit, Christmas and summer. Thus our girls enjoy having those cool breezes under their skirts and wide open vents to cool their fevered brows. Everybody to his own.(I'll bet that the only reason those truckers haul all those boxes down here for Christmas is to save the cost of insulation.)