[JohnHill88]

Hey all, just curious how many of you reverse/flip your bottom boards from season to season? I'm building some PVC bottom boards to sell, and debating whether to make them reversible or not.

 

[dd33]

I have been making PVC bottom boards and they are not reversible.

 

[Oldtimer]

Question would be what is the point of reversing them?

Reversable bottom boards were popular here years ago, the idea was there was a different height of riser on each side, so a hive could be set to the lower height in winter.

Kind of lost popularity over the years because entry restriction can also be achieved with an entrance guard which is simpler and can be taylored to the particular circumstances.

 

[JohnHill88]

Thanks Oldtimer, I know why they're reversible, but just never heard of anybody reversing them nowadays.

 

[Oldtimer]

Not saying don't do it. Depending on design it may be just as cheap to make a reversable as a non reversable, if so, why not. If they are being made to sell, being able to say reversable in the advertisement may be an extra selling point for some folks in the target market.

 

[odfrank]

I consider the 3/4" height entrance too easily accessed by mice, robbers and yellow jackets, so I use the 3/8" height entrance year round. If you watch during yellow jacket season they just fly right into the deep entrances but not the shallow ones.

 

[rwlaw]

I consider the 3/4" height entrance too easily accessed by mice, robbers and yellow jackets, so I use the 3/8" height entrance year round. If you watch during yellow jacket season they just fly right into the deep entrances but not the shallow ones.

They have enough air flow for the heat and curing honey Ollie? The only reason I ask is I run 1x2 furring strips w/ 3/8” cut out when nesc but run the full 3/4” when the flows on.

 

[odfrank]

I never noticed a problem. I do run a lot of slatted racks.

 

[Fivej]

@JohnHill: I have some scrap PVC that I am going to make into bottom boards. I decided to go with 3/4 entrance and rout down the middle-ish of the 1x 1-3/4" scraps I have by ripping a 1x4" for the sides and back. I am using 1/8" pvc for the bottom board. Also am going to make pvc entrance reducers. These will be for my own use, so not concerned about selling them, but everyone I know runs the 3/4. I would be interested in any tips you learn. J

 

[BattenkillJB]

I am in upstate New York and my custom solid bottom boards allow for slipping 2” foam board under the hive box in the winter time. I never put foam under or around hives in the summer because they turn into black ant farms. The extra height seems to keep the bottom of the hive drier year round. Works for me but like anything else in beekeeping everyone has a different solution.

 

[Fivej]

Something to consider BattenkillJB. J

 

[Riverderwent]

I consider the 3/4" height entrance too easily accessed by mice, robbers and yellow jackets, so I use the 3/8" height entrance year round.

I use ⅜” all year. Works great.

 

[Oldtimer]

About that. I have 100 bottom boards with 3/8th risers in use, because somebody wanted to buy 100 singles from me with 3/8th risers, and after I made them the guy welched on the order. So dotted around my sites among the 3/4 inch risers, are these 3/8th inch risers.

What i do notice on a hot day and it's pretty obvious, is that the bees in the hives with the 3/8th inch risers do have to work quite a bit more on ventilation.

Wether it noticeably affects the honey crop I can't say, however i do feel better, when i know my bees are as comfortably furnished as i can make them.

 

[My-smokepole]

I to am the 3/8 camp. But have a bunch of 3/4 still

 

[Nelsonhoneyfarms]

Good luck with your business, sounds neat!

Moving those two heavy deeps out of the way to reverse it is more of a chore than I want to mess with. Even if mine were reversible, I don’t think I’d do it.

 

[Gray Goose]

I do not reverse. to be fair I make my own and they are NOT the reversible type. I make a 5/8 entrance and use blocks of scrap wood to shorten as needed. The extra space below when I offer it cause the bees to add a bit to the bottom of the frames. I then need to trim it to place it in a NUC or different hive. I guess make both and see which ones sell the best.
GG

 

[jnqpblk]

I love the simplicity of the 2 runner solid bottom boards that have dadoes on the inside of the runners for the deck boards.
The idea of them being "reversable", I know is true, but the reality is you want the extra material on the one side for the strength of the runners, and the other side @ 3/8" for the hive opening.

Any thing larger than 3/8 is unnecessary except to allow the larger size glow plug on the OAV unit block, and mice in the entrance.

Me, +-20 years, solid bottoms with 3/8" entrance, OAV unit that fits it ("Varrocleaner"), and never a mouse in my hives even though they are out in the field 24/7/365 on stands with the top only 8" off the ground.

 

[Roland]

Many years ago my Grandfather patented a "Level-Drain" bottom board with a 3/4" opening on both sides. We still make them to his print.

Roland Diehnelt

 

[TexasHoneybee]

I love the simplicity of the 2 runner solid bottom boards that have dadoes on the inside of the runners for the deck boards.
The idea of them being "reversable", I know is true, but the reality is you want the extra material on the one side for the strength of the runners, and the other side @ 3/8" for the hive opening.

Any thing larger than 3/8 is unnecessary except to allow the larger size glow plug on the OAV unit block, and mice in the entrance.

Me, +-20 years, solid bottoms with 3/8" entrance, OAV unit that fits it ("Varrocleaner"), and never a mouse in my hives even though they are out in the field 24/7/365 on stands with the top only 8" off the ground.

YEA MAN I do the same all my BB are custom with 3/8 to 1/2 inch gap plywood painted and lipped. I set them right on double pallats with no problems. traditional bb turn into either robbers moths or mice. I was sick of it so i rip a 1/3 legthwise and then in half and chop it to frame bees love it and in the winter i put in a block/shim to close down the entrance to about 3/4 of an inch. until i did this i lost a F ton of hives each year. Dont get me started on the screened bottom boards. Should have called them submarine screens.

 

[Oldtimer]

YEA MAN I do the same all my BB are custom with 3/8 to 1/2 inch gap plywood painted and lipped. traditional bb turn into either robbers moths or mice.

Moths will work a hive with a 3/8 entrance just as well, and that size is no barrier to mice either. It may make it a tad easier for a hive to defend against robbers but i certainly wouldn't rely on it.