Natural Beekeeping International Forum

[tbdepp]

Hello, I have a KTBH with screened floor, and live in the Southeastern US. I am nervous the bees will be chilled overwintering, the temperature drops sometimes to 20deg F here. Do others have experience successfully overwintering with a screened bottom only? Should I retrofit a solid bottom board?

Thanks!

Best,

Tim

[catchercradle]

It can get that cold and colder here some winters and the bees have managed fine with open mesh floors. Cold and damp together kill bees much more than cold which they can manage as long as you don't set thigns up so a force 10 gale blows through them.

[Barbara]

Hi and welcome.

Just so you get two different responses and therefore have to make your own decision, I personally don't like open mesh floors. The hive I built with a mesh floor, I subsequently fitted a board below it because I felt my bees weren't happy with it. Bees do not generally choose cavities with open space and air flow below them and my most successful hives have solid bottoms despite living in a damp location.

I like Phil's idea of a deep litter floor best as it has the benefits of a closed floor but the ability to breath and drain, but it is still in the experimental stages.

Regards

Barbara

[NewForester]

I have to say that I am of the same opinion as Barbara. I don't think the bees like open mesh floors and I have stopped using them in summer as well.

[mannanin]

I have decided that I also prefer solid floors and I also think the bees agree. My original plastic OMF was decimated by a very inquisitive fox. No damage to the combs but it was an alarm call regarding pest control. I also observed that the bees seemed a little reluctant to move horizontally whilst I had an OMF. This changed once I fitted a solid floor. I think they actually prefer not to have the light coming in from underneath and they certainly did not need it for ventilation purposes in either winter or summer in my climate. I also believe more in the need for nest warmth and general atmosphere within the closed hive. I just asked myself why I had fitted an OMF in the first place. Other than for varroa counts taken from underneath the hive, which I think are flawed anyway, I no longer see any advantage to OMF.

[tbdepp]

Bottom boards seem good, but isn't the screen bottom advantageous against mites?

[zaunreiter]

Yes and no. Sure some mites drop out of the hive through the mesh, so can't climb back on a bee.

On the other hand brood is chilled in the lower parts of the hive which leads to prolonged development of the bee larvae and thus a longer capping time, thus an increased mite reproduction.

[Paul Reyes]

I also go with solid floors and my bees too.

[originalbee]

i have a small cast swarm in a top bar nuc hive which has a mesh floor.
Below the mesh is a board i can and will insert over winter but it does not fit snuggly ! I like the sound of a "littered Floor" but does anyone have advice as to what to use for the litter? Dry leaves, pine needles , barkpieces or what?

Please tell me your experience with litter

Thanks

[Smorning]

I think this video details the concept and the materials

http://youtu.be/Vy8i1Uxthv4

I have closed up Eco floor mesh with basic weed suppressing membrane and placed leaf litter and other organic material gathered from the woods in the void below the follower board, so far so good this year all the hives within this are doing fine. The membrane appears to retain the moisture sufficiently to keep the organic material viable.

[originalbee]

Very helpful video thank you!

Just had a window of glorious sunshine so took opportunity to remove a couple empty topbars and put in dry leaf litter and bark etc. covering the mesh floor about 2" thick.
If this little cast survives this winter i will set up a full size topbar with eco floor in the spring to move them into.

I hr later - there dont seem to be any objections to the new floor and it does look more cosy !

I am happier too

B