Dear All,
I am interested in the history of the ventilated floor. I learned about these from Bernard Mobus who was the last bee adviser at the North of Scotland College of Agriculture. He had very strong contacts with Germany  the land of his birth and I am "sure" that  he learned of these floors there. In 1990 when I and my wife took over the beekeeping unit at Craibstone Estate these floors had already been in use for some years, probably 10 or more. Craibstone  belonged to N.O.S.C.A. We have personally used these floors for 10 years or more and there is no way I would go back to the solid variety.
Why not, well there are several reasons. It is safer to move bees with a ventilated floor given that we shut the bees in. The bees I feel, find it easier to ventilate the colony especially during that rarity for us, a decent honey flow.  The colonies winter dry. All our hives have top insulation and bottom ventilation all year round. When we get varroa here (NE Scotland) the cold wintering this system gives will act against the mites I hope. The last reason is a good Beekeeping one, well go figure, holes are cheap! So they are but the mesh costs!
The reason for this post is that I've a feeling that the wheel is being reinvented again. Someone knows the real story and it goes way back I feel sure of that. Sadly there is a lot of research which because it was done pre the computer age is "lost" or more than a click away which seems to be the same thing. For instance the work Jeffries did at Craibstone on optimum colony overwintering size appears to be little known even in the U.K.
Well well that's progress, ?
Wishing all full supers,
Peter Watt.
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