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Author Topic: Screened bottom board or solid?  (Read 12104 times)

Offline beeghost

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Re: Screened bottom board or solid?
« Reply #20 on: October 20, 2012, 02:20:44 am »
I think its location based, period. Where I am at in CA we had temps in the high teens/low twenties last winter, but hovered around the 30's as lows. I have a ventilated inner cover and a SBB that was left uncovered all winter..............not a single loss of a hive. They also didnt burn through their stores..............of course Eucalyptus bloomed in january and the temps were foragable, so that was great!!

Although I like SBB, im going to solid two hive pallets for ease and moving to migratory covers as well.
Coyote Creek Bees - Est.2011

Offline Finski

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Re: Screened bottom board or solid?
« Reply #21 on: October 20, 2012, 03:48:51 am »
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Winter in California!!! No losses

This picture is from 65°58′00″N, 29°11′00″E.
Folks have there beehives.

But honestly, it is an unfriendly place to bees
forecast: http://www.foreca.fi/Finland/Kuusamo

Anchorage Alaska....wow...getting worse
http://www.foreca.fi/United_States/Alaska/Anchorage

« Last Edit: October 20, 2012, 04:02:12 am by Finski »
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Language barrier NOT included

Offline wildforager

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    • Brooms By Little John
Re: Screened bottom board or solid?
« Reply #22 on: October 22, 2012, 01:00:48 am »
I overwintered my 5 hives on screened bottoms last winter and didn't loose any. I did stack some straw bales around the hives and left the fronts open for solar gain. Yea we had a mild winter but this is the best I've done with overwintering in 3 years of beekeeping.
A weed is just a plant in the wrong place. -Luther Burbank

To find out more about me check out my website.... www.broomsbylittlejohn.com

 

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