Screened bottom boards (SBB)

[BjornBee]

Do you use them? I'm finding out that many on-line beekeepers have tried various items as compared to the local clubs and the "established" crowds. I wanted to see what the differnces are.

Thank you.

[TwT]

I used them before but have since went back to solid bottoms, I call them pollinator bottoms boards because they have a 1 1/2 entrance on front and back, like these a lot better than regular bottom boards with a large front entrance.

[bmacior]

My first year trying them.  To those that went back to solid boards, what were your reasons?

[Robo]

I use to use them but have since went to a solid 2" Killion type bottom board with slide in Miller slatted rack .   I know there has been studies showing both sides on SBB effectiveness against varroa,  but between my work with supplemental heating,  and observing feral hives,  I have chosen to help retain brood nest heat and humidity and it seems to be working for me.  I'm not solely attributing this to the fact that I haven't had to treat for varroa in 3 years,  but it surely hasn't hurt.

[TwT]

My first year trying them.  To those that went back to solid boards, what were your reasons?

the only thing I saw good about them was during very hot month's, they helped keep the hive cooler, the BB's I use now with the 2 entrances also does this because of small bearding this year compared to the beards on the single large entrances. another reason was compared to solid BB's, in the early spring the solid bottom boards built up faster,

ants is another reason, with solids you can see the ant if they try to enter the hive but not with screened BB's

[Kathyp]

it is very wet where i live.  the SBB helps with the moisture control.  i had some solids when i started out, but ended up with yucky, moldy, bottoms even in the summer.  i was constantly  having to lift off hives and clean them.

with the SBB, i clean probably twice a year.  some hives only once in the spring.  I bought SBBs with boards that slide in to close the hive for the winter.  i can also slide these boards in to do a mite count.

after using both, i think i'll keep the SBBs for my area.

[tandemrx]

my question is does "SBB" always connotate (or never connotate) an "open bottom".

I use one of the screens that sits right on top of a regular bottom board, so my hives are not "open" on the bottom.  It just gives me a method to put a stick board underneath the screen to (1) clean out the hive bottom once in a while, (2) a place to catch some falling varroa, (3) a way to easily count varroa.

I have been making my own sticky boards using corrogated plastic and vasoline/mineral oil unless I want to do a more accurate count of varroa, then I use one of those sticky boards with the grids on them.

I voted that I "use screened bottom boards", but since hive isn't any more open than a regular hive, I am not sure if the vote is appropriate and will be counted (chads?  ;)).

[poka-bee]

I voted that I "use screened bottom boards", but since hive isn't any more open than a regular hive, I am not sure if the vote is appropriate and will be counted (chads?  ;)).
[/quote]


Why don't we wait to count till next week...there may be new ways invented then!! :evil: :evil:  J

I like Kathy am in "wet" conditions.  I started w/them, bees seem to be doing great.  They are on a plastic pallet though so are not really "open" on the bottom, only 4" squares.  Brian has no bottoms @ all & seems to do really well.  J

[BeeHopper]

Fellow Beeks,

I have always used screened bottom boards, one version for 3 years and the other version going through it's first winter. The first version consists of a solid bottom board opened to the back of the hive for the beekeeper ( to monitor mite drop and cleaning ) above this is the SCREENED bottom board opened to the front for the bees and then a Slatted Rack above this for bees to hang out & dead air space below the brood chambers. Debris and mites fall through the SBB, as for ventilation, I don't think it is much due to the opening towards the back being 3/4 of an inch and as wide as the hive, plus the opening at the front.
    On the other version, I am using a Screened Slatted Rack which is essentially a slatted rack with #8 screened stapled to the bottom. This serves as my bottom, nothing else, it is 5 inches above the ground with 2 brood deeps and a hive top with 3/8 inch entrance towards the front, I have since closed the opening except for 3 inches for the bees to exit during warm days through the winter. This setup has better ventilation due to the hives being bottomless except for the slats & screen and an open top entrance. It is said that ventilation is more important than insulation during winter months, so we'll see, I do worry about the chimney effect though. If they do well through South Jersey winters, then I will utilize this version with all my hives.

BH

[Robo]

It is said that ventilation is more important than insulation during winter months, so we'll see, I do worry about the chimney effect though. If they do well through South Jersey winters, then I will utilize this version with all my hives.

Man says one thing, bees say another.  I have yet to see a feral colony that wasn't sealed up as tight as could be.  Likewise I have yet to see a feral colony that shows signs of mold or issues with moisture :?  Then again feral colonies aren't pumped full of sugar syrup like a lot of our hives are either.

I wish you luck with your new bottom board, but I wouldn't call one winter successful as the weather greatly fluctuates from one year to the next.


rob..

[BeeHopper]

It is said that ventilation is more important than insulation during winter months, so we'll see, I do worry about the chimney effect though. If they do well through South Jersey winters, then I will utilize this version with all my hives.

Man says one thing, bees say another.  I have yet to see a feral colony that wasn't sealed up as tight as could be.  Likewise I have yet to see a feral colony that shows signs of mold or issues with moisture :?  Then again feral colonies aren't pumped full of sugar syrup like a lot of our hives are either.

I wish you luck with your new bottom board, but I wouldn't call one winter successful as the weather greatly fluctuates from one year to the next.


rob..

If bees could talk, I'm sure most of us would be listening  :-D  Robo, you are correct with the above reply, but what works in one locale may not work in another. My hives have remained strong through 3 winters with one version, I am experimenting with the other, perhaps one winter is not enough for a final determination. The winters here are really tough on the bees because of the wide fluctuations in temps, its like having 3 seasons alternating from November to April unlike having winters in higher elevations. So far, I've been having good luck with SBBs, only time and observation will tell.

[annette]

I am going into my 3rd winter now with them. The first 2 winters I kept the SBB open the whole time and come Spring time they were fine.  The only time I inserted the tray into the bottom board, was when we were having winds nearing 60MPH. I think for around here, they can stay open all year long.

It just feels right to me to let the mites fall on down to the ground and any other debris. It is not the cold that kills the bees, it is moisture.

Annette

[BeeHopper]

I am going into my 3rd winter now with them. The first 2 winters I kept the SBB open the whole time and come Spring time they were fine.  The only time I inserted the tray into the bottom board, was when we were having winds nearing 60MPH. I think for around here, they can stay open all year long.

It just feels right to me to let the mites fall on down to the ground and any other debris. It is not the cold that kills the bees, it is moisture.

Annette

Annette,

That is great to hear of your success with SBB.  :-D

BH

[WhipCityBeeMan]

This is my first year using SBB.  I wanted to switch gradually but I wound up going for broke and switched all my hives over this year.  I live near a wetland area so I thought this would help my bees overwinter better.  Hopefully the improved ventilation will help.

Here is my question.  I will in Massachusetts in zone 5.  I made my SBBs with a slot to close them up during the winter if I wanted to do so.  Should I close them or patrially close them during winter?  (I think it seems contradictory to close them after I made them with the intention of improving ventilation during winter)  Perhaps closing them on windy nights or periods of extreme cold would make sense. 

Thoughts?

[annette]

I must say one thing and that is my first winter I had the SBB open and still ended up with a mess of mold inside the hive. Really to improve ventilation, the most important thing is to have some sort of top ventilation.

I just keep the SBB open so the mites and debris will fall out, but ventilation is not my main motivator.

But to answer your question, I have much milder winters out here than you do so I cannot comment on whether to keep them open. I know that Michael Bush keeps them open all winter and he lives in Nebraska.

I do place the trays back in whenever there is a very severe wind storm. But I only did that once last winter.

[Brian D. Bray]

Fellow Beeks,

I have always used screened bottom boards, one version for 3 years and the other version going through it's first winter. The first version consists of a solid bottom board opened to the back of the hive for the beekeeper ( to monitor mite drop and cleaning ) above this is the SCREENED bottom board opened to the front for the bees and then a Slatted Rack above this for bees to hang out & dead air space below the brood chambers. Debris and mites fall through the SBB, as for ventilation, I don't think it is much due to the opening towards the back being 3/4 of an inch and as wide as the hive, plus the opening at the front.
    On the other version, I am using a Screened Slatted Rack which is essentially a slatted rack with #8 screened stapled to the bottom. This serves as my bottom, nothing else, it is 5 inches above the ground with 2 brood deeps and a hive top with 3/8 inch entrance towards the front, I have since closed the opening except for 3 inches for the bees to exit during warm days through the winter. This setup has better ventilation due to the hives being bottomless except for the slats & screen and an open top entrance. It is said that ventilation is more important than insulation during winter months, so we'll see, I do worry about the chimney effect though. If they do well through South Jersey winters, then I will utilize this version with all my hives.

BH

I use the same type of bottom, a slatted rack, except I pulled the screens as I found the bees hand a tendency to cluster under the hive and the screen was quickly covered with debre.  With the exception of the slatted racks my hives are bottomless, I modified my haive stands to so I can slide mite boards under the slatted rack to regulate entrane size and check for mite loads.  If I were to go back to screens I wouldn't use anything less than 1/2 inch.

[Kathyp]

robo, the hives i have removed were sealed up tight, but had no bottom with one exception.  even the ones in walls did not extend the entire length of the section.  the  only one that did was in a 3X4 section of wall and had thrown a swam into a much larger section which was not filled with comb.  all others had swarmed before filling entire enclosure, most leaving a large space between the bottom of the space and the bottom of the hive.

[BjornBee]

Long way to go, but surprised by the results thus far.

[Robo]

robo, the hives i have removed were sealed up tight, but had no bottom with one exception.  even the ones in walls did not extend the entire length of the section. 

I've seen plenty of hives with no appreciable space left below the combs.  A favorite place seems to be in the floor joists, especially in the overhang on raised ranches.

But I have also seen it in walls too, though it does take longer and therefore is more rare.  In one particular old feral, hive debris had piled up over the bottom of the comb and they had to abandon it.

the  only one that did was in a 3X4 section of wall and had thrown a swam into a much larger section which was not filled with comb.  all others had swarmed before filling entire enclosure, most leaving a large space between the bottom of the space and the bottom of the hive.

I'm not sure lack of space is the key factor in swarming for ferals.  I've observe that almost all that are strong swarm regardless of space.


It's clear to me from my observations with ferals, that bees are very adaptable.  So I'm sure they can adapt to a wide range of things we shove at them.  Personally,  I'm just trying to emulate the environment the bees choose when given free rein. Then again, I just want to produce strong hives like nature, not propagate weak or inferior hives by "helping" them along.

[bmacior]

Brian,

How cold do your winters get?