I think screened bottom boards are a mistake. I ran then for 10 years and
they have some good points: Allowing mite drop, maybe some beetle drop,
and excellent drainage for sure. However, they are a pain to make and
manage, and I think it is virtually impossible to seal one off for
fumigation. I run Russian bees and many want to propolize the screens,
rendering them ineffective. I use formic and thymol for mite control and
switched back over to solid bottoms that I could fit an entrance reducer in
and I am having much better mite control as I can seal the hive. I have a
big pile of them under a shed now......Just my experience.
Bill Lord
Louisburg, NC
***********************************************
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
Guidelines for posting to BEE-L can be found at:
http://honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/guidelines.htm