In article <[log in to unmask]>, Andrew Dubas
<[log in to unmask]> writes
> can anyone find a beehive in the wild that their
>entrance is below the comb ? It is usually 99.9% above the nest. So why do
>we use commercial bottom boards ?

This assertion does not equate at all with our experience. In my (even?)
more foolish days I was frequently called on to deal with feral colonies
in a wide variety of places, some of which were downright dangerous to
reach.

In wall and roof spaces the colony was usually above the hole, but not
always. All depends on the position of the hole relative to the space.
The bees just hang their combs from the top of the cavity and work
downwards, with little regard for where the hole is. There is one feral
colony (in a hollow tree) I keep an eye on near one of my sites and
looking in the hole you can see the bottom of the combs hanging there,
and only vacant space below.

What I can say about those with high entrance holes is that they tend to
have a large accumulation of rubbish in the bottom of their space, which
can be in a variety of states of decay, even up to the comb bottoms in
places with lots of mould etc. The low entrance colonies are much
cleaner, often well varnished all the way to the entrance.

> Also having bottom boards allows an easier
>entrance for mites to re-enter the hive.

Given that the behaviour of mites (particularly varroa) has been
discussed at length by a variety of posters recently I cannot see this
as a serious issue. Perhaps it will occasionally happen, but compared to
bee-bee transfer in the field, and particularly re-infestation in the
autumn, which will occur wherever the entrance hole is, I am sure it is
not important.

>Seems ferral colonies that
>are high up in the trees or in soffits in homes they don't have mite
>problems.

So why do almost all feral colonies (including high ones) die in the
first wave of varroa if they don't get mites?
--
Murray McGregor