[hockeyfan_019]

Although my screened bottom board design has worked pretty well (it is essentially a standard screened bottom with a beetle-baffle built into the frame), I wanted to redesign with a few new features, so I came up with this idea. There are several other details, but the primary one is 2 vertical entrances, 3/8" x 2-3/4", projecting down from the bottom board. There are sheet metal "snouts" that project down another 3/8", so SHB can't just crawl around the corner.

Does anybody here have any experience with such a concept? I haven't been able to find anything that talks about such a feature.

Thanks

 

[hockeyfan_019]

Just thought I'd clarify a few things here, otherwise this looks a bit like a solution looking for a problem...

- The vertical entrances are INSIDE the perimeter of the hive, thus no wind and rain blowing in
- All entrances and ventilation can be easily closed with a single board to simplify OAV application
- Since the bottoms have the same profile as the hive bodies, a winter wrap with constant section can be slipped over the whole thing like a sock
- With the vertical entrances and metal snouts, hopefully hive beetles won't be able to crawl around the edges or hover in
- Metal snouts are too small for anything close to mouse size
- By having a screened floor but closed otherwise, drafts (and light) from below can be eliminated, and ventilation reduced
- Some researchers are claiming that varroa are not well adapted to higher hive humidity, so less ventilation can help that
- Closing off under the screen will prevent bees from hanging out all the time under the screen instead of using the door properly
- Level screen only 1/2" below the top edge of the bottom board should keep the bees from building comb on the bottom of the lower frames
- I'll also be using 1.5"-2.5" high slatted racks above the bottom board, so the bees can reduce bearding and improve airflow by fanning
- Finally, I may cut a few "extra" ventilation slots in the front, screen with small window screen, to confuse robbers and hornets

Whew! Hope that makes a bit of sense now

 

[hockeyfan_019]

Here is a section I made of the design in sketchup, sorry for the crude annotations though. Not sure how to show a picture, hope this works, fingers crossed

 

[little_john]

Does anybody here have any experience with such a concept? I haven't been able to find anything that talks about such a feature.

The basic 'up and over' entrance has become known as a 'periscope entrance' and features in the Dartington Hive design and it's plastic equivalent (the name of which I've forgotten). Maybe other hives as well.

Periscope entrances are reported to work well (albeit in non-SHB territory), but it seems you've taken this idea one stage further with SHB in mind - it'll be interesting to see if that aspect of your design works as intended.
Here's hoping ...

'best
LJ