Screen Bottom Board & SHB

[rail]

Watching my hive I've noticed SHB easily enter through the screen bottom board! They are met with strong resistance at the entrance. ;) Yes, I know it is suppose to help with getting rid of the SHB and ventilation.

I feel now that a solid bottom board wood benefit the intrusion of that nasty little beetle. Any opinions?

[AllenF]

Put an oil tray under that screen.   Then the beetles fall into the oil and die.

[sc-bee]

Screen bottom boards are not meant to aid with the reduction of shb, unless there is an oil tray underneath. Some as you say actually think sbb's help shb enter the hive.
They are suppose to be an IPM measure towards varroa. Varroa obviously can't fly like shb, so when they drop through the screen to the ground it is harder for them to re-enter.

[AllenF]

Here are some ideas of stuff to build to take out beetles.   I have tinkered around with all of them. 

http://freemanbeetletrap.com/menu_page/about_the_trap

http://www.golden-bee.com/cart.php?target=product&product_id=16152

http://www.greenbeehives.com/abgrbe.html

It is good to kill the beetles as they enter the hive.   

[mikecva]

Also take a look at:

http://www.extension.org/pages/25099/university-of-florida-bee-disease-videos   -Mike

[VolunteerK9]

Here are some ideas of stuff to build to take out beetles.   I have tinkered around with all of them.  

AllenF is also experimenting with a small, hand held flame thrower :) Very effective

[AllenF]

Works well with lighting fires, sweating copper pipe, and starting your smoker. 

[SurprisingWoman]

I love the Brushy Mountain webinars.  I just recently got addicted.  The webinar called 3 things to know going into fall with Kim Flottum is really strong on SHB and reduction.  They discuss SBB's too.