I have used slotted racks with slats crosswise to the frames. Now I
see parallel slots advertised. After adding beltsville screens below the
racks [reversed so I can test for dead mites from the rear of the hive], I
have begun to wonder whether the slotted rack will not reduce the
effectiveness of the screen. I also wonder whether the hive will not be
harder to defend with slotted racks in place [Last fall and this spring I
have a very gentle Carniolan colony under repeated attacks from a
neighbor's Italians The raiding is constant on warm days with a hive full
of capped honey in the third Illinois from last year, and some of the
carnies are now getting hostile toward anything that moves within 20 feet
of the hive. Two other carniolan hives slaughtered Italians last year and
seem not to be troubled this year. However, their queens obviously bred to
some Italians in addition to the carniolan drones a year ago].

John F. Mesinger
[log in to unmask]