Subject: | |
From: | |
Reply To: | |
Date: | Sun, 4 Dec 2022 14:07:56 -0500 |
Content-Type: | text/plain |
Parts/Attachments: |
|
|
> In an overwintering experiment with Russian bees in northeast Iowa in the early 2000s, colonies with screened bottom boards lost more weight than colonies with regular bottom boards. Statistically significant difference.
I've been under the impression that the wintertime best practice with screened bottom boards was to make the area under the screened bottom "dead air", and to prevent winds from reaching the screen, which would be similar to blowing across the top of a soda bottle to make a "flute" note (but do this standing on one's head, as the screened bottom board opening is at bottom), and would thus create a significant exchange of air between the hive and the outside.
So, I use pallet wrap to wrap from the lower edge of the bottom board down to the edge of the mat. (My colonies are on bricks atop 2-foot square mats that spread out the load so that no damage is done to the roof surface.) Three wraps around makes a very sturdy barrier.
If the screened bottom is not protected from winds, or closed off in winter, the outer surface of the cluster is going to be under far more stress than it would in a solid-bottom hive.
***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html
|
|
|