Pat and Tom

I think you will find that early loss of bees, in the circumstances that you both describe, can be attributed to chilling.

Not much that you can do, maybe my sites are a little more sheltered than yours but I have noticed that very little occurs when using Open Mesh Floors (yes Ken is promoting them once again).

But it's true, obviously not a scientific study, but it's working for me. I ask could it be that with the added ventilation the hive does not heat up as quickly as those with a solid floor and entrance block. Maybe the cooling retards brood laying, well it's not the first year I have used them and this has not been a previous experience. At the same time although I have only made a full examination on one hive (just to make sure it was okay before I united a bunch of 'followers' to them) lifting off the crown board of the remainder shows that generally they are very strong.

When you think about it the brood rearing temperature of 34C (93F) is only maintained in a very small area, the rest of the box could be quite cool.

In would be nice to hear from some of the list members in really cold places like the northern states of America and Canada, do they suffer similar?

Open mesh floors are basically varroa screens EXCEPT no solid floor is placed below it. Which advert is it that states - There Greatttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt ?

Ken Hoare