(Thomas) (Cornick) wrote:
 
>    On a regular bottom board I plan to smear with petroleum jelly I will place
> a piece of hardware cloth with 1/8" openings in the mesh. On top of the mesh
> will go a frame of 3/4" stock on three sides so that the entrance to the
> hivebody is above the mesh and debris and mites are free to fall to the
> grease.
> Another piece of 3/4" stock will seal up the original opening in the bottom
> board.
 
I wonder if this design wouldn't create a lot of extra work cleaning bottom
boards.  With things as they are usually done, the bees clean off the trash
during the summer and our basic help to them is only once in the spring.  If the
bottom board were coated with vaseline, then boarded up,  the whole spring,
summer and automn's worth of debris would accumulate in addition to the mites.
To clean them up, the entire hive would have to be taken down - a lot of work
when fully supered and full of honey and maximum bee populations!
 
I favor the thought of having the bottom board be a hardware cloth open mesh for
times other than winter.  Not only would the mites drop out, but so would all the
fine debris - thus saving the bees a lot of extra effort.  Ant control might be
the main issue.
 
Ted Fischer
Dexter, Michigan USA