Screened Bottom Boards

[Shep1478]

I have screened Bottom boards on two hives; I'm assuming that I'll need to replace those soon with standard bottoms to get through the North Georgia winter, right? Up here in the mountains, we get some pretty wicked winds!

[WVaBees]

There are folks much further north that have pretty nasty winters that leave the SBB's open all winter. Do yours not have the slot to slide in the IPM board? If not perhaps you could just extend something down and around the bottom of the hive to block the wind but be able to keep the boards open for ventilation.

[Shep1478]

No, I checked, there's no slot at all    :(

[hardwood]

Yet another use for the "handy man's secrete weapon" duct tape!

Scott

[Kathyp]

i just slide the boards in.  if you can't do that, then duct tape is a good answer....or a couple of small nails.  any sheet of plywood cut to fit will do.  no point in lifting heavy hives to switch bottom boards!

[AllenF]

I left my bottoms open all winter last year.

[RZRBCK BEE]

I left my bottoms open all winter last year.

I did too and hives did great. Plan to leave them open this winter also.

[Shep1478]

Thanks y'all..

I'll probably leave them as they are - Open.  Maybe i'll fashion some type of windbreak around the hives to help cut the the winds..

[backyard warrior]

Cold doesnt kill bees!! Mites kill bees and moisture!!!  Id leave the open bottoms and block the wind like u said and i would give them an inner cover that is slotted so their is a opening in the top of the hive you want to ventilate to keep the moisture out thats what kills the bees moisture combined with cold air.

[Kathyp]

if you are in the south you can probably leave them open with no problem.  wouldn't do it in harsh winter places.  as for openings, there are endless debates, but i can't agree with the open bottom and top opening.  we all know how a chimney works.  cold does indeed kill bees.  yes, moisture is a big problem and will kill bees but so will freezing them for long enough.  they need to be able to keep the hive warm.  they can't do that if the warm air they create is siphoned out the top.

[beek4018]

I'm in Indiana and most folks leave them out all year here.

Actually lack of ventilation is much more of a killer than cold.  by leaving the screen open the air movement will remove moisture and prevent freezing.  If there are enough of them, the bees will cluster and should provide enough warmth. 

[Jim134]

I have screened Bottom boards on two hives; I'm assuming that I'll need to replace those soon with standard bottoms to get through the North Georgia winter, right? Up here in the mountains, we get some pretty wicked winds!

 About 50% of the beekeeper in New England  leave screened bottom boards open all year ..



    BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

[ArmucheeBee]

Hey, I'm in Rome, GA.  I leave my SBB open until the really cold weather ( up north, don't laugh!) in January and February.  Then get some of that 1 inch foam insulation board, cut it, slide in.  I make some with about an inch or two short for venting.  My front door is only 1/2 inch wide.  My bees did not exit from 1st of January until mid-February last year.  Very cold and wet.  Get the moisture out!  I have top vents too.  

On warm days I opened up and moved empty frames out of the way and H-frames into the center.  We can do that here not up north -- warm is >65.  Do this in Dec. and Feb. or they will starve.  We always have a >70 day sometime around Christmas.  This past Dec. it was over 75 and I opened up consolidated frames and was able to take several hives down to only two mediums.  I had NO dead hives last winter and it was one of th worst in the last 10 years.  So what I am doing is working for me in Rome.