Does the bottom boards stay in the hive at all times?

[Jesse Sammons]

 :mrgreen:   


so.. Iam a new keeper.

[Jerrymac]

The bottom board is what the hive sits on. It is always there. Or it is an open bottom hive.

[indypartridge]

Jesse,

Welcome to the forum. You'll find this is a great place to learn about bees. You may want to go to the "Greetings/Tell us about yourself" subforum and introduce yourself.

Regarding your question: as Jerrymac said, a bottom board is what the hive sits on. I'm wondering if perhaps you have a screened bottom board and are trying to ask whether to leave the slide-in mite board in or not? If that's the case, the answer is "no". You only slide that board in when you are doing mite counts. Some beeks put them in during the winter months, but I don't.

Which reminds me - if you update your profile to include your location, we will be able to answer your questions more accurately. Much of beekeeping is "local", so knowing your location is important.

[Jesse Sammons]

Yes indypartridge  that i what i was talking about the white cardboard looking peace that slides in a slot on the bottom board. Also there is a screen above it, so I take it out and leave it out! 

Ok.. Wont the bees get cold with all that air flow ?

Also i nail in the reducer in the entrance to the hive correct?


sorry i'm new to this.  thanks indypartridge

jesse

Jesse,

Welcome to the forum. You'll find this is a great place to learn about bees. You may want to go to the "Greetings/Tell us about yourself" subforum and introduce yourself.

Regarding your question: as Jerrymac said, a bottom board is what the hive sits on. I'm wondering if perhaps you have a screened bottom board and are trying to ask whether to leave the slide-in mite board in or not? If that's the case, the answer is "no". You only slide that board in when you are doing mite counts. Some beeks put them in during the winter months, but I don't.

Which reminds me - if you update your profile to include your location, we will be able to answer your questions more accurately. Much of beekeeping is "local", so knowing your location is important.

[Michael Bush]

The hive, from bottom to top, is a stand (something that sits on the ground that the bottom board goes on) a bottom board, some boxes with frames (brood boxes or supers depending on their use), some kind of cover (sometimes with an inner cover under it), some bricks or rocks to hold the lid on.

If you have a Screened Bottom Board there may be a tray that slides under it.

So if you mean the bottom board, yes, it stays on all year.  If you mean the tray, some people leave it out except when they want to monitor Varroa mite drops and others put it in over the winter.  I put it in over the winter.

[JP]

Yes indypartridge  that i what i was talking about the white cardboard looking peace that slides in a slot on the bottom board. Also there is a screen above it, so I take it out and leave it out! 

Ok.. Wont the bees get cold with all that air flow ?

Also i nail in the reducer in the entrance to the hive correct?


sorry i'm new to this.  thanks indypartridge

jesse

Jesse,

Welcome to the forum. You'll find this is a great place to learn about bees. You may want to go to the "Greetings/Tell us about yourself" subforum and introduce yourself.

Regarding your question: as Jerrymac said, a bottom board is what the hive sits on. I'm wondering if perhaps you have a screened bottom board and are trying to ask whether to leave the slide-in mite board in or not? If that's the case, the answer is "no". You only slide that board in when you are doing mite counts. Some beeks put them in during the winter months, but I don't.

Which reminds me - if you update your profile to include your location, we will be able to answer your questions more accurately. Much of beekeeping is "local", so knowing your location is important.

I wouldn't nail in the reducer cause you will take it out later, just slip it in place, don't nail it.


...JP

[Jesse Sammons]

 :-D   
OK so... 

My dad and I got these two hives , screen bottoms, right now they are 1 big box high.   
Inside  the boxes I have ten frames each and beeswax foundations. Then a top board with a oval hole and on top of that a white thick hard plastic telescoping lid. With jar feeders set up on the outside. my bees have not come yet and i was wondering what else i can do to give my bees the best shot at makeing it. We a thinking for planting allot of flowers in our field for the bees to feed on. Any pointers on what type of flowers, or anything I might have over looked.   

thanks for the help so far too! 

Jesse

[Kathyp]

your weather is similar to mine at this time of the year.  one thing that will help will be to keep your entrances reduced, and bottom slider board in, until your nights warm up.  it's so tempting when the days get warm, to pull the board and widen the entrance, but those cold nights can set back your brood production.

good feeding  until you know they are finding their own stuff.  that takes a few days.  at the bottom of the forum lists is a gardening board.  we have some real experts on bee plants and gardens.  pop down there and see what they can tell you about the best stuff for your area.