# Country Rubes Combo Bottom Board



## Gypsi (Mar 27, 2011)

This is the Cadillac of SBB's I think (In my extremely limited experience)
For a newbie without a table saw, with pest problems in the hive, during a drought/heat wave, this is it! $42.50 is a lot of money for one piece of eqpt, but the craftsmanship, the way the wood is treated (boiled in oil and beeswax) the assembly and the design makes it versatile. Comes with the sticky board (Dadant wasn't sure so I got an extra for a friend). The sticky board smeared with olive oil trapped shb as well as giving me a mite count. Putting it on, (disassembling hive in process) let me know I had 16 moth larva on the old bottom board, all in all it's been a win-win experience. 

I bought it figuring I'd learn to build another one for my next hive. And to be honest, I don't think I can build it this well, cheaper. The hardware isn't cheap, the finish will endure and stand up to weather, and is bee safe. Convert to winter use is easy too. I have a friend with a table saw, but I think it will be easier to just buy another one when I assemble the materials for my next hive. 

And the how to treat information and instructions are excellent, full color, with photos. Not long, one dual sided folded 8.5 x 11 sheet, but enough that I don't spend hours searching the net for answers. All in all, I'd do it again.


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

You're right, Country Rubes does have the best SBB I've ever seen. But, who can afford one for each hive? I build my own out of 1x pine and #8 hardware cloth for a cost of $4.40 a piece.


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## Specialkayme (Sep 4, 2005)

I was interested in trying one out . . . until I saw the price tag.


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## Sully1882 (Jul 18, 2011)

i like the one from green bee hives for half the price... the oil tray works great and all but eliminated any SHB I had. 

Just my Opinion,

Sully


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## Gypsi (Mar 27, 2011)

Charlie B said:


> You're right, Country Rubes does have the best SBB I've ever seen. But, who can afford one for each hive? I build my own out of 1x pine and #8 hardware cloth for a cost of $4.40 a piece.


I can never grow enough flowers to have more than 2 hives. I'm in ranch country, at the edge of a city full of pesticides. I'm in drought and 100 degree weather. I'm having enough trouble keeping one hive alive, and I do other work to pay the bills, no time to build. For me, it was the right SBB. I wish I had the time for $4.40 apiece. 

Looks like my daughter and I will change the chevy engine together. Can't hire a decent mechanic to pull and put for less than an arm and both legs. That savings (roughly $1000 to $1500 in labor costs after I pay my daughter) will more than pay for another Country Rubes when I get a 2nd hive.


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## Gypsi (Mar 27, 2011)

And I am thinking I may not be able to manage 2 hives. This drought started in Sept 2010. 
Our last major one ran from Winter 2004/2005 until June 2006. I don't know if I will order more bees. My water bill for 1/3 acre after letting the grass die is more than my electric bill on my all electric house with central a/c. Why invite more problems? Bees live better where there is rain.


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

Gypsi said:


> Looks like my daughter and I will change the chevy engine together. Can't hire a decent mechanic to pull and put for less than an arm and both legs. That savings (roughly $1000 to $1500 in labor costs after I pay my daughter) will more than pay for another Country Rubes when I get a 2nd hive.


Oh C'mon Gypsy, if you can change the engine in a Chevy you can borrow your friends table saw and make SBB's. Better yet, have your friend make them. There are a ton of plans online. 

I wish you the best!


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## 2rubes (Apr 28, 2005)

Hi all, thanks for letting me know of this link. Check out our website at http://countryrubes.com/ordersquestionsstuff/orderpage.html and scroll down. We have Blems. They are totally function, have a cosmetic problem or repair that we can't sell them to our distributors. Totaly functional and waterproofed (paraffin and tree rosin). There's a limited supply, we have about 50ish left from our last dip (we cull them out when we dip them so the amount goes up and down). Email me at [email protected] with how many on your wish list and I'll let you know your costs.


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## Gypsi (Mar 27, 2011)

hmmmm... cheaper than what I paid at dadant. Might have to get another one.


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

Hey 2rubes,

Met you at the Randy Oliver class in SF a while back. You should give Gypsi a special discount. She's be talking up your SBB's on this forum. Can you help her out?


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## 2rubes (Apr 28, 2005)

Hi, Charlie, we love going to San Francisco. We are probably going to be up that way in October, Randy and I get our Rosin and Paraffin in Berkely and they don't expect their next load in until then. Hopefully I can coordinate it to line up with your meeting so I can drop by. 
I just read all of Gypsi's post. 
Hi Gypsi, It sounds like the robbing bees are getting in through the Front door onto the sticky board. That really shouldn't happen. If you get a chance, take a look to make sure the front door is straight and centered. We have to cut them a bit small so they fit smoothly and if you slide the door all the way to one side, the bees could squeeze in through there. And I see that you do not use powdered sugar, but Jerry Freeman who also makes SBB's got an enormous SHB drop using it and has a video here http://youtu.be/Ld7rRC6S2Ss
We sell his trays that fit our SBB's for $17.00 and if you buy them while buying our boards, there's no additional cost for shipping. Same goes for extra Plastic Sticky Boards, gridded or plain. 
Please let me know if anyone has any questions. 
Have a great day,
Janet

I just took a look at the shipping to Fort Worth from California and for one board, it's $16.76 parcel post, and we charge $3.00 for a box, no handling charges. I go into town at least twice a week (we have an organic farm and sell eggs and produce, today we are bringing in our fall crop of golden raspsberries). I saw that you are within 3 hours of a Dadant store (Paris), so it would be a push if you drive up there, but if you do order through us, we would throw in one of our new robbing screens for you to try and give us your opinion on. 
Shipping is crazy, but the more you can squeeze into a box, the better the price. We have one box that we can fit 6 boards in that we can ship to the east coast for $50.00+$3.00 for the box.


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## Gypsi (Mar 27, 2011)

Actually I was going to dust the bees with powdered sugar this morning, since I saw a few varroa mites on the sticky board last night. I'll check the front door adjustments on the combo board this morning, got to see how the bees are doing getting in and out past my homemade robber screen.

Shipping is awful - I get most stuff from Dadant, who have a store in Paris, TX. 

Really love the board still. Thank you. Best engineering I've seen since I got into this hobby!


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## 2rubes (Apr 28, 2005)

Thank you so much. My husband, Mike, made the board. He's a contractor and furniture maker and is just amazing. I just give him my list of ideas and he comes up with the design. 
Robbing screens are great, no matter how you make them. My orginial ones were raw edged pieces of 1/8" screen tied onto the hive with bailing string. They worked great, just looked horrible. 
Thanks again for your comments,
Janet


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## Gypsi (Mar 27, 2011)

Janet,

My robbing screen is going to have to be modified to work, had to pull it off. I don't urgently need another cbb at the moment, only having one hive and contemplating a bait hive. I'm going to try to fix my robber screen for now, but is Dadant in Paris going to carry yours? My shipping from them is usually under $10 for lots of stuff because it's fairly close by, and I can get multiple diverse items in one box. 

Gypsi


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## 2rubes (Apr 28, 2005)

Unfortunately, our Robbing Screen will not be in Dadant's stores this year. We need to work on production and we won't make their deadline for their 2012 catalogue. They will be available on line. The good thing is, they are light and shipping will not be as bad. 
I do love having our distributors, it really helps on shipping costs. 
Janet


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

Looking forward to seeing you again Janet!


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