Actually, some published literature found benefit to SBB's.  Mostly in
conjunction with treatments that knock down mites.  Our local scientist in
residence claims his studies showed benefit on their own (haven't actually
seen published results on this one). The last time I heard this was tonight,
when he did a demonstration on tracheal mites (microscope and all -- he
grabbed bees from some carnie mongrels and they never found a single mite --
all the susceptible hives in the yard died last week).

No doubt, your studies showed otherwise (many I've seen showed no measurable
effect from them). But your insistence that there are no studies showing
otherwise does get old.  The conflicting results just show there are other
factors at play -- most likely climate differences.  A (single) Canadian
study showed SBB's increased mites in spring, which was not shown in any of
the studies I've read from the southeastern US (although I don't pretend to
have read them "all", I have read a few). This type of difference is
"interesting" for most, although not exciting, to be sure.  And must of
those studies were set up just as you describe (hard to pass peer review for
publication if you don't set proper controls), with side-by-side comparisons
and multiple sites with the same variables tested in each.

Most here do use them for the other benefits you mentioned - ventilation in
summer, ease of moving hives in sweltering weather, etc.  There are some
downsides -- most know to clean a solid bottom board now and then. But with
a SBB, you need to remember to clean underneath, if you don't have a stand
that keeps debris from piling up. Otherwise wax moths have a great place to
play and build their population in the debris.  And if you don't use
stainless, I would imagine that use of organic acids will cause them to rust
out, leading to increased replacement costs.

As to small cell -- prior research didn't show very promising results.  But,
testing of the strain of bees currently being raised on small cell might.
The first is not very marketable, the second, maybe, but questionable (who
owns it?, etc.).  Commercial concerns do tend to play quite heavily in
current times.  And yes, those using small cell seem to be all true
believers, moving all their hives and keeping no controls.  As with several
other controls that are not mainstream.  For those where it works, they have
"proven" it to themselves and will try nothing else (not even test an
alternative with their bee strain). For those where it didn't work, they are
told it was their fault, bad genetics, etc.  Not a risk most would take,
esp. those that have to make their living with bees (which doesn't include
me, but I would hate to see all my bees perish on such a venture).

Karen

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Peter Borst


> I have been involved in studies of screened bottom boards for 4
> years now, on hundreds of hives. We have never found them to have any
> benefit (no harm either), but we continue to study them because
> beekeepers are interested in them. If we find a benefit then