Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: keito on May 22, 2012, 07:59:11 PM

Title: Screened Bottom Boards
Post by: keito on May 22, 2012, 07:59:11 PM
I used SBB but worry about the draft do you need to seal off the bottom completely?
Title: Re: Screened Bottom Boards
Post by: hardwood on May 22, 2012, 08:04:33 PM
That depends...where are you? Folks that use them (I don't) here in the south (and even some northerners) leave them open all year.

Scott
Title: Re: Screened Bottom Boards
Post by: keito on May 22, 2012, 08:49:45 PM
I am in North Mississippi. It is quite warm these days and all seems to be well but I wonder about the winter and the screened bottom boards. My first year and I have four hives they all seem to be doing good. I have my sbb set on top of regular bottom boards there is about an inch open in the rear of the hive. I think all will be ok. Thanks
Title: Re: Screened Bottom Boards
Post by: texjim on May 22, 2012, 09:28:17 PM
i use a piece of Plexiglas that i can remove when the temps get warm and reinstall for the cooler months.
Title: Re: Screened Bottom Boards
Post by: Joe D on May 22, 2012, 09:35:13 PM

Hi, welcome to the forum.  It gets colder were you are than here, I got my hives last fall, put SBB on them when I got them.  They did fine though the winter, altho it wasn't that cold.  Where in north Miss are you.

Joe
Title: Re: Screened Bottom Boards
Post by: Kathyp on May 22, 2012, 09:55:43 PM
mine are open about 3 months of the warmest part of the year.  closed the rest.  my main reason for going with them is that they are super for swarm catching.  if not for that, i might go with solids all around. they are cheaper. 
Title: Re: Screened Bottom Boards
Post by: Jim134 on May 22, 2012, 11:08:01 PM
Quote from: keito on May 22, 2012, 07:59:11 PM
I used SBB but worry about the draft do you need to seal off the bottom completely?

I have a few (7 or 8 hives) on SBB leave them open all year in Athol,Massachusetts the hives do ok.



                  BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)  
Title: Re: Screened Bottom Boards
Post by: Jim134 on May 22, 2012, 11:13:38 PM
Put you'r Locution in the profile it will help all of us.



      BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)