Screened bottom boards in Winter?

WhipCityBeeMan · February 23, 2008, 07:38:01 PM

I am going to make the move this spring to screened bottom boards. I will build the myself and I am considering making a dado under the screen so I can slide a piece of 1/4" plywood in for the winter. The reason I am considering doing this is because I live in Massachusetts and our winters can be cold. I have read/heard people say that cold doesn't kill bees, moisture kills bees but I know that cold and draft is not helpful to the bees. Does anyone think this is necessary or should I leave the bottom boards open through the winter? Remember I live in Massachusetts.

Kathyp · February 23, 2008, 08:57:11 PM

i slide the boards in in winter. i think you need them if you live in a cold area.

bassman1977 · February 23, 2008, 09:11:22 PM

Quotei slide the boards in in winter. i think you need them if you live in a cold area.

I also slide the boards in during the winter. I lost a perfectly good surviver hive a couple years ago when I didn't do this.

Brian D. Bray · February 23, 2008, 09:23:21 PM

I leave my hive bottoms open year around but then I use slatted racks which provides an air layer that does the same thing as sliding in the board.

Cindi · February 24, 2008, 09:50:09 AM

WhipCityBeeMan. Interesting name. Welcome to our forums. Nice that you found us. This will be a place that you can ask your questions, get great answers. You can give good answers too, sounds like you have kept bees for awhile. Spend time here, have a wonderful and great day, love our life we live. Cindi

durkie · February 24, 2008, 07:19:06 PM

one of the benefits i just discovered of the screened bottom board closed during the winter is that it lets me put diatomaceous earth directly on to the slide-in board without it eventually getting rained on or blown away or spread on areas i don't want it. this has been surprisingly effective at catching small hive beetles, which must mistake the slide-in entrance of the SBB as a hive entrance.

johnnybigfish · February 24, 2008, 08:50:02 PM

Since we're talking about bottom boards I was wondering....
I'm thinking about(Since I just bade a mess of bottom boards last week) using a large hole saw and cutting round holes into the bottoms and screening over them..I figured on doing this mostly for ventilation purposes, not so much for mites or beatles(havent seen any yet) Whattaya think? Are screened bottom boards mostly for ventilation or mostly for mites and beatles? Or would I be better off just leaving the bottoms alone and nut cutting them at all?
Its common in the creek bottom where I live to get up to 110 and 120 degrees in the hot parts of the summer.
your friend,
john

suprstakr · February 24, 2008, 10:20:05 PM

It's good for ventilation and mite drop. :-D

Sean Kelly · February 25, 2008, 06:22:34 AM

I left mine open all winter and one colony is doing really really really really well. The other is doing good but I think I might have to requeen. I thought she was dead but I found capped brood today. Plus that hive is really mean. I live near Seattle and our winters are really wet and chilly. Keeping the bottom boards open and the top cracked open a little keeps the moisture from building up and ventilated. Our temps got down into the teens this winter and they did just fine.
The only probem i've had with screened bottom boards is keeping them clean. Pollen, wax, and other stuff gets stuck in the screen and is hard to get off.

Sean Kelly

Michael Bush · February 25, 2008, 08:17:53 AM

White plastic "coroplast" is cheaper than plywood and works as well if not better for a tray.

steveb · June 11, 2008, 07:08:12 PM

Last winter I left some sbb open thru the winter and those hives came out the strongest in the spring. Our temperatures reached as low as -10 F.
Steve

tileguy · June 12, 2008, 11:51:20 PM

Below is some instructions I got from some beekeepers here in Upper Mi. They have a good overwintering success rate, so I thought Id share......
T.G.

First, we only harvest once a year there- at the end of the summer. This way we know how much to leave for the bees and what is extra. We leave minimum 90-120 pounds per colony and all are at least two or three stories high.

Second, we put frames of pollen in their bottom box that way they will have protein stores come spring to move them back down (since they rotate up the hive comsuming honey during the winter) which allows them to begin brood build-up.

Thirdly, all colonies are on screened bottoms- cold will not kill them but lack of ventilation will. We push them side to side and back to back and then place 2 inch thick pink insulation on the fronts and sides. Make sure that they also have ventilation holes in their upper boxes and that you cut out spots on the insulation to match these vent holes. As they get buried with snow, it is essential that they have upper vent holes. We also use inner covers and telescoping lids. On top of the inner cover and under the telescoping lid we place another piece of insulation (thinner than 2inches) that we also slightly prop up on one end to accomodate more ventilation. We use a cork piece or a small stick to prop this insulation up. Then, the telescoping lid goes on top.