# White sheet that slides in and out of screened bottom board



## jongerow_3 (Aug 12, 2015)

This year I will be trying out a screened bottom board for the first time. It came with a white corrugated sheet with a grid to aid in mite counts that slides in and out underneath the screened bottom board. Is this white corrugated sheet something that should be installed at all times or only when doing mite counts? Thank you in advance for the advice.


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## TWall (May 19, 2010)

You can slide the white sheet inwhen you want to mite counts and when you want the bottom closed. Some people close it during the winter, some people close it all the time and some people never close it.

Tom


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## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

I have ventilated Freeman beetle traps, which accept either oil trays or IPM boards. I like having either a beetle tray or a greased (sticky) IPM board (usually with veggie spray) in at all times to kill anything that gets chased or dropped down there. Since these bottom boards are vented, I don't need the bottom open in hot weather.

The problem with leaving these open most of the time is that bees may accumulate under the screen, possibly in the hundreds. Then you put a sticky board in and a few days later you have hundreds of dead bees on it. I try to put something back in immediately to prevent this.


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## Dan the bee guy (Jun 18, 2015)

I put a little cooking oil on it and leave it in.


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## rookie2531 (Jul 28, 2014)

I leave mine closed most of the time. If the temps get 95 or higher, I open it up about an inch.


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## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

jongerow_3 said:


> Is this white corrugated sheet something that should be installed at all times or only when doing mite counts? Thank you in advance for the advice.


Since you only have one gridded mite-counting board per screened bottom board, I would recommend you get some spare corrugated plastic board. You can buy these from your bee supplier, but a lot of temporary signs are made of it and those blow down or are discarded by the ton. Do the environment a favor and scrounge a few. When you are not counting mites, old real estate or political campaign signs work nicely. You will eventually wear the grid off the boards that came with your SBBs, so you can prolong their life by having plain spares. Keep a spare board handy so you can just slip it in, and take the dirty one off for a careful mite count and a cleaning.


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## jongerow_3 (Aug 12, 2015)

This is all really great info, thanks everyone!


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I would leave it in all the time.


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## RudyT (Jan 25, 2012)

two other tips... leave it plain side up when you are not intending to make a count so the side with squares is clean. You need to take it out and clean it regularly, or beetles, etc will use if as a breeding area.
I have switched to freeman traps and am far happier.


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## rolftonbees (Jul 10, 2014)

Many experience bee keepers feel thst an open bottom on a hive actually makes it harder for bees to control the temps even in the heat. 

on the other hand other beekeepers feel that air flow is so important to controlling moisture
thst the keep the solid part out even in winter.

others like myself take a middle of the road approach and move it in and out. I slide mine open about an inch at a time when the bees start bearding in summer. then stsrt closing up as things cool down. the bees dont seem to mind the added landing board.


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## tropicalbees (Oct 12, 2016)

I also have the slide out white plastic sheet. I check it every night after work for ants, SHB etc. One day I washed it and it still wasn't clean. Sugar ants made their nests in the corrugated plastic. Couldn't get them out, so I used clear wide tape and taped the three sides off. I had to go back and tape the inch next to the wood handle. Now I put oil on it or Vaseline and they have been reduced by 90%. The next one I get, the tape goes on it first. Smart little pests!


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