Uses for Screened Bottom Boards

[romduck]

I've been using this forum to learn about different hive configurations for different kinds of beekeeping and I've become more curious about the screened bottom boards.

Locally I was told that the purpose was to use it in the Fall with a sticky paper to establish a mite count.

Here it seems that some people use a screened board for genereal hygenic purposes all year long.

Does a screened board also improve ventilation during warmer weather?

Are there other uses / purposes for a screened bottom board?

 :?:

[Michael Bush]

>Locally I was told that the purpose was to use it in the Fall with a sticky paper to establish a mite count.

You can put a sticky board on a regular bottom board with a 1/8" hardware cloth screen on it or a plastic grid on it (you can buy these from the bee suppliers).  But I do use mine a lot for monitoring.  I don't even use a sticky board, I just slide the plastic tray in.

>Here it seems that some people use a screened board for genereal hygenic purposes all year long.

That was the reason for the design of the SBB.  Some research showed rather high reductions of Varroa.  I have not seen that much decrease.

>Does a screened board also improve ventilation during warmer weather?

Greatly and that is, IMO, the most important reason for having them.

>Are there other uses / purposes for a screened bottom board?

I think you about covered it.

[romduck]

thanks again.

I'm also following up on the topic here regarding bottomless hives.

I apreciate the responses.

[Apis629]

There are some draw backs to the SBB, at least in Florida.  We get so much rain here and in 95º heat it becomes humidity pretty fast.  The problem I've seen with SBB, at least durring the rainy season of summer, is that humidity is higher and so it takes honey a little longer to ripen.  Granted, it's really not a very big problem, it's more of a side-effect.

[Finsky]

I have wrote many times that varroa is not a broblem. When you pour oxalic acid solution on winter ball , you can forget those numerous other tricks. Even that calculation.  If you do not like chemicals, you have a bigg broblem!

A problem is different if hive have brood a year around.

[Michael Bush]

In the end you have to adjust your beekeeping to your climate.  Here the SBB provides more ventilation and the honey gets ripened sooner.  With higher humidity it could be totatlly different.  I don't know, because I don't have to deal with that.  We have cold winters and hot summers and low to moderate humidity.  The SBB is nice for the hot summers and I put a tray in for the cold winters.  It works well here where I am in Greenwood, NE.