Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

Does anyone use just screened bottoms in the Northern portion of our lower 48 states during the winter months? For an example, New York, Vermont etc.  What about you folks from Canada, any of y'all use screen bottoms alone in the winter? While we are at it and moving further south, what about you folks from Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, etc? Thanks Phillip Hall

I'm in Manitoba Canada,

Heck! No!
They are set on styrofoam and fully wrapped


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Quote from: Sledin on July 09, 2018, 10:09:23 PM
I'm in Manitoba Canada,

Heck! No!
They are set on styrofoam and fully wrapped


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks Sledin from Manitoba Canada for your reply. Question, With your hives wrapped so tight do you not have condensation problems, dripping from the top and freezing them etc?  Educate me please 😊😁. Thanks Phillip

I live in west central Minnesota and have never used a screen bottom board. Top vent is all I?ve ever needed.

Quote from: Bush_84 on July 09, 2018, 11:45:01 PM
I live in west central Minnesota and have never used a screen bottom board. Top vent is all I?ve ever needed.

Thanks for your reply bush84, but you don't count, didn't you once tell us that you keep your bees in a shed that is tempature controlled? What about your neighbor bee keepers, how do they do it? PS if I lived in your area I would try to keep them in a temp controlled shed also 😊😁!!   Thanks Phillip and good for you on the swarms, I just read your reply from the other post.

Lol ya they go in a shed. I honestly don?t belong to a bka and don?t have friends who keep bees. I would say that from what I?ve read most seem to use solid bottoms. Tends to be a passionate subject.

Quote from: Bush_84 on July 10, 2018, 12:32:59 AM
Lol ya they go in a shed. I honestly don?t belong to a bka and don?t have friends who keep bees. I would say that from what I?ve read most seem to use solid bottoms. Tends to be a passionate subject.

Thanks Bush-84.  I know what you mean about a passionate subject. My memory isn't quiet clear on this subject. A few years ago, before I became a member, and was in the want bees stage, I use to read a lot of the topics and post here. It seems, if memory serves me correctly, that there was debate about this and some folks , even from New York stood by the screened bottom situation. I am thinking that the argument was not so much the cold but that starving was the bigger problem?  But please don't quote me on this because I'm just not clear on this matter. This may be a job for Robo? Or Jim? Thanks all , and thank you bush84. Sincerely, Phillip

I may not be located in the specified areas but I do have some screen bottom boards.  Although my reason for them is for oil pans to kill SHB.  I put insulation in the oil pan over winter.  They are kept closed all year.

Quote from: cao on July 10, 2018, 12:47:37 AM
I may not be located in the specified areas but I do have some screen bottom boards.  Although my reason for them is for oil pans to kill SHB.  I put insulation in the oil pan over winter.  They are kept closed all year.

Thanks for your reply cao, from where I am located in North Mississippi, and you in Evansville Indiana, we here look at your location as being "up there" 😊😁. All comments here are much appreciated! Thank you Sir for your reply!!  Sincerely,    Phillip Hall

Quote from: Ben Framed on July 09, 2018, 11:05:57 PM

Quote from: Sledin on July 09, 2018, 10:09:23 PM
I'm in Manitoba Canada,

Heck! No!
They are set on styrofoam and fully wrapped


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks Sledin from Manitoba Canada for your reply. Question, With your hives wrapped so tight do you not have condensation problems, dripping from the top and freezing them etc?  Educate me please . Thanks Phillip

Hives that are kept outdoors for the winter (I believe most larger commercial operations winter indoors), are put in clusters of four and have 2" styrofoam all around them, all they need is small entrance and top vent to stay dry.


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I have a SBB but the mite board is left in for the winter.
2" foam panels wrap the sides and top. Also have a top entrance for the winter.

Quote from: Dabbler on July 10, 2018, 07:56:37 AM
I have a SBB but the mite board is left in for the winter.
2" foam panels wrap the sides and top. Also have a top entrance for the winter.

Pretty much the same here.

Thanks Sledin Dabbler, and Bushpilot for your replies.