I have used screen bottom boards exclusively for the past 5 years, and I
know another guy who has done so for over 30 years.  We live in an area that
averages 60 inches of snow a year; last year we had 90 inches.  The past
five winters have been relatively mild, but we still have had many nights of
temperatures below 10 degrees F, without consideration of wind chill.

Neither of us use anything to block the screen during the winter.  We both
strongly believe in upper winter entrances for ventilation.  I use mouse
guards to narrow the lower entrance, he totally closes the lower entrance.

I have my hives on stands such as that described by Waldemar, except my
stands are 12" high (instead of 3.5").  The other guy has his hives on
pallets.  Therefore both have systems that effectively prevent snow from
getting into the hives from the bottom.  But it is not uncommon to have
hives completely or totally buried in snow.

We cannot detect any injurious effect of the screen bottoms compared to when
we used solid bottoms.
Lloyd
Lloyd Spear, Owner Ross Rounds, Inc.
Manufacturers of Ross Rounds Comb
Honey Equipment, Sundance Pollen Traps
and Custom Printer of Sundance Labels.

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