Natural Beekeeping International Forum

[biobee]

Bees are not interested in empty space: they want to be in the warm with their family, not in a vacant void! This is why it is OK for the followers not to be a bee-tight fit.

The beauty of using followers is that you can peep inside - give them 4-5 days - and see how they are getting on without disturbing them.

[Judith]

Ah! the light goes on...I was obsessing over a bee tight fit and with replacing all other boards. Now I see why you mentioned that you would consider making a little hole in the follower to help stragglers return.
Again, thanks. I am really enjoying the education and good common sense you offer. I wish I could get some work done but cannot tear myself away from observing the bees.

[biobee]

Nobody, on their death bed, has ever been recorded as saying, 'I wish I had spent more time at the office'.

[Judith]

luckily, I "work" at home...
Still waiting for late packages for my Warre hives. I am really glad to have installed the first into the HTBH. The hands on experience and ease of making increase appeals.

[WidgetMan]

Just screened the bottom of my first hive with a section of the safety netting from a large kids garden trampoline (no longer required). Mesh size is around 3.5 to 4mm so doubled it over and secured with glazing beading pinned to the bottom of the hive.

[judymac]

If you live in France, Leclerc supermarket has Mosquetaire (dark green plastic) mesh 1.5mm holes, 1m x 2m for 6.75 Euros at the moment in their gardening section.

[BaB]

Living in Indiana do I really need a mesh floor and why?
Thanks
StungnIndyataol.com

[AndrewM]

Looks like it doesn't get real hot so cooling is not the main issue, though it will help out on 90 degree days.

Mite control is a big factor. If you have a solid bottom, when the mites fall off or get groomed off a bee they fall on the bottom board and climb back up into the hive. With a screened bottom, they fall out of the hive, reducing your mite problem.

Andrew

[Sir David]

I was thinking ,after reading about Varroa and screens in the post above , about what happens to the mites that get trapped in the screen at the bottom of the hive . How far can the little buggers climb?
One of the advantages I see with a top bar hive is that the mites can either fall out the bottom ( bye bye ) or get trapped on the screen. Some must hit the screen due to the law of averages. Now in a so called conventional hive when the bee shakes one off they could ,I assume ,climb up the foundation back towards the bees quite quickly ,whilst in a TBH they would have a much further way to climb to reach the brood area.As they would have to climb to the top of the hive and then down wards . Anyway of slowing them down could result in them starving to death before they find a new host .
Some creatures instinctivly go up ,if that is the case with verroa then how the screen is attached to the hive could be used to direct them to the outside of the hive and oblivion or into a dead end and ...er .. well dead .
An example of this type of behavior in insects is used in the simple wasp traps found on this site ,the ones made from plastic coke bottles .
So is this an idea that could work ? Simply attaching the mesh some how to the out side as opposed to the bottom in such a way that the verroa find themselves outside the hive as they attempt to climb upwards would be a start, even a couple of % lof the verroa getting lost in this way would be a help maybe .

Or are Verroa just passive and will wait where they fall until a bee comes by
(I put this idea on another part of this web site but no one commented I hope this is a more suitable area)
Just a thought on a damp day here in Angers

[Rupert]

Hello David,

Mites can walk a bit, but being that they have tiny legs and comparatively large bodies, I doubt that they walk very far. If you make your entrance holes a couple of inches above the floor, I think that there is less likelihood of a fallen mite getting back in the saddle.

I seem to remember somebody suggesting, somewhere else, that entrance holes at floor level would help bees clearing out debris. It might, but would surely help mites more.

Rupert
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A cow on the rocks is not a bum steer

[cmaryon]

[hurvinek1]

I used gutter screening, there is 9 holes in an inch, are the holes too big? Would that make it difficult for the bees to defend the hive?

[AndrewM]

My first screen had 6 holes per inch and that was to large, SHB came right through. Next screen has 8 holes per inch and is working great. 9 holes per inch is smaller still and should work fine.

Noticed you are in the area, there is a place near the Key Bridge that sells SS mesh, if you are interested. http://www.lejonesco.com/index.htm

Andrew

[hurvinek1]

[beeyond]

I found that most ACE HARDWARE (in USA) usually carries 1/8 inch hardware cloth in 2ft tall rolls and sells it for around $3.50-4.00 per foot. A 3ft piece will do three 36inch hives.

[mimoose]

can you do some kind of weave pattern using nails and wire that will give you the right size. i am building my hive now, and dont have a car, its near impossible to get around on sunday. i was going to use window screen, but checking this forum, i was reminded it would be too small.

[mimoose]

also, isnt metal better to keep the mice/rats out?

[alnoble]

The mesh company from warrington mentioned above now stock the mesh in a size specifically for TBH in packs of 4, 10, 15 and 20 sheets

Sized at 180mm * 1200mm each sheet

You can order it directly online for UK.

[jonrig]

Hi Alnoble, You beat me to it!

Just wondered if you knew that The Mesh Company now sells varroa mesh in lengths suitable for Top Bar Hives.! Via its website.
And at a very reasonable price. Except the delivery charge does add quite a bit!
I've just ordered the minimum pack of 4 for £12-99 + £7-00 delivery.
At the moment It comes as 1200mm x 180mm size, Which is what I first suggested to Chris would cover most hives if built to Phil Chandler's plans.
It comes in packs of 4, 10, 15 & 20 pieces.
I also suggested that as many TBH's are home made, they don't always conform to Phil's standard! And maybe a a bit wider size of 1200mm x 200mm would cover more bases so to speak.
He tells me he might adjust the size to this.
Check it out at...
www.themeshcompany.com
_________________
Contains traces of nuts! Can cause a reaction!

[kaydee]

i used plastic mesh obtained from a flower shop. very strong flexible cut with scissors 8 holes to the inch. then hardware cloth from local feed mill-essentially rabbit cage wire as there are racoons and skunks about my area.
_________________
"when the student is ready, the teacher will appear"

[alnoble]

Hi Jonrig

I emailed Chris last week for a price and he said he was adding it to the online shop so I have waited. He did say he would put a single sheet option on but many be that's not viable. I'll be ordering the 4 pack shortly then will have it stock for future hives.

Just finishing my first TBH from a mix of recycled wood and shop bought.

[dazarooney]

I got some of my wire mesh from Cadisch last year, it might be suitable for you too.

http://www.perforated-wire-mesh.com/

[type2head]

after a bit of searching have found these guys

3-4mm opening

insect netting

comes in mtr lengths or a roll of 100 mtr

which works out at about 1.10 per hive

if your building 200 hives

http://www.knowlenets.co.uk/garden/garden_netting.htm#insectnet

[Ellem]

I popped into Homebase on the way home, just on the off chance as I personally think they are usually priced way over what I'm willing to spend but they came up trumps for the mesh for the floor.

http://www.homebase.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?storeId=10151&catalogId=1500001201&langId=110&searchTerms=greenhouse+shading&authToken=

Even cheaper than Dobies, which was out of my way but the only other choice I could find fairly locally And I explained to the guy who was cutting it what he was for and he cut it on the generous side, so it was long enough to do the floor with a 'one length' strip, making it enough for at least 3 more hives

[mysticmd]

I do have the fine mesh bottoms on my hive, but as the freezing nights approached, the bees started to quickly propolize the mesh. I bought a role of landscaper's cloth, also called ground cloth which is used to put around shrubs to block weeds but allow rain to drain through. It is somewhat translucent letting some light through and more importantly air circulation. I believe it is helping the winds from whirling upward into the box this winter , but gives them fresh air circulation. BTW, the propolizing stopped when I stapled the cloth on. I intend to remove it in the warmth of the spring. Hope this may help someone else.

[ChristyHemenway]

Ace Hardware carries what is called 1/8 inch hardware cloth. It's metal, and there are 8 squares to the inch. Keeps bees in - let's mites fall out! (The ones that don't grab it on their way down)

Some of the Ace stores, (here in Maine they will) will cut it to length for you. But I've heard many people complain that their local hardware store either didn't have it, or you had to buy a large (100 foot!) roll of it.

We try to help solve that problem for folks by providing the hardware cloth, in addition to all the other hardware needed for a Gold Star hive in the DIY#1 kit.

That Big Box attitude really gets under my skin - having to buy 60 of something you need 10 of - that just isn't green!

Cheers!

-- Christy Hemenway
GOLD STAR HONEYBEES
“When it's about the bees - then it's REALLY about the honey."
207-449-1121
www.goldstarhoneybees.com

[laird austin]

did any one order any varroa mesh from the mesh company here in the UK?

if so does any one have any surplus to requirements as i cannot justify the cost of getting a full pack of 4 just for one hive, so if there is any one who did have a spare sheet and would be willing to sell me a sheet please get in touch. as is normal i will also pay postage for it to be sent.

thanks
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common sense, it is'nt that common

[biobee]

I have just uploaded a video showing what happens if you use plastic mesh floors in an area with an active badger population!

http://youtu.be/u14YxJUchsY

[laird austin]

good video, just shows the damage they will do given half a chance and once the bees have gone they are then free to eat all they want. surprised there was no teeth marks on the bars with them eating it as close.

i would think a plastic mesh can still be used as long as there is a solid board fastened over the bottom, little wood blocks in each corner would also allow the ventilation and also for the varroa to drop out too.
_________________
common sense, it is'nt that common

[BBC]

For reasons of economy, we've used wind-break netting (free), and have painted it to reduce the possibility of little legs getting caught in the woven fabric.
Indicated is a 3.2mm welding rod stub which just fits into the mesh.



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