Rimantas,
 
When I kept bees in France I had bottom boards with two, 10 centimeter,
screened holes and liked it.  When I started keeping bees in the states
(Arkansas), I put simular holes in all my bottom boards just to have the
bees seal them up with propolis.  Now I use solid bottom boards but
leave large entrances and gap my supers during nectar flows.  I don't
know if it was the bees or the climate which caused the difference.
Ed Levi
 
Rimantas Zujus wrote:
>
> Last time there is discussed here about hives with wire net instead of a floor.
> Reason : Dadant hives keep great moisture. It creates subtropical (i.e. excellent) conditions for Varroa Jacobsoni development and hard ones for a colony.
>
> Papers say this is used in a half Western Europe and comes to USA. Really ? ("BITUTE RATUOTA", 29.12.97., nr 94, Dr. A.AMSIEJUS, 21 hives without bottoms)
>
> A profit using such hive : ( After 5 years of observation by Mr.STEPONAITIS )
> 1. Moisture drops to normal.
> 2. Better nectar  venting while flow.
> 3. Colony's productivity raizes even five times (? ! )
> 4. Mites number decreases obviously (they drop down on the soil, worse reproducing conditions)
> 5. After using additional chemical means ( in autumn, 10 hives ) no mite was found.
>
> Loss :
> 1. Winter honey consumption rises by 20-40 percent
>
> What your expierence says ?
>
> Sincerely
> Rimantas Zujus
> Kaunas
> LITHUANIA