# Screened or Solid Bottoms



## ArkansasBK (Mar 5, 2011)

Most any good farm store has it.


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## Beethinking (Jun 2, 2008)

I think it depends on how much ventilation you have on the hive. Personally I don't use screened bottoms on any of my HTBHs or Warre hives and I prefer it this way. Many of our customers buying top bar hives are in Texas and other warm climates and they have reported that their hives are fine. Note, however, that we have 6 side entrances and 3 ventilation holes toward the top of the hive that surely have an affect. 

Best,
Matt


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## Adam Foster Collins (Nov 4, 2009)

I've got solid, and I think I may add some ventilation holes in the upper portion of my follower board, so it vents into the roof, and out the top, while not letting in much light.

Adam


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## Matt R (May 5, 2011)

Thanks for the info...

I had tried harware stores, home improvement stores, and several feed stores but all I can find is 1/4" harware cloth or window screen. I guess I will add a couple vents and keep looking for the screen to use on the next one.


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## LampBurner (May 4, 2011)

Matt brushymountainbeefarm.com sells the mesh you wan't. I too have built a TB hive(s) from plans that that include no accamidations for screen bottom or ventelation either one and it has a bottom enterance at one end. On the first I built, I just put 3 holes in the upper rear end of the hive with half inch drill bit, then about the same location in the false back. On the second I made, I put two 2 inch holes up there in same place and made plugs from dow rods and tapered one end of them so I can plug and unplug at will. On the next hives I am currently building, I am putting three 3 inch holes in the floor of the hive that will unclude removable plugs and will have 2 or 3 two inch holes in the ends at the upper portion. ALL holes I put in the floor or and ends of course will be covered on the inside with 1/4 inch mesh.

I have read that too much ventelation even in hot weather can be a bad thing, so it sort of made me think twice before useing ALL screen bottom, even though my Lang hives all have all screen bottom. I just mentioned that to give you idea.


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## catbackr (Jun 5, 2010)

I got some 1/8 inch mesh at Ace Hardware. After a couple of years i ended up taking it off the top bars. All I found that it did was give the wax moths a place to hide when I closed up the bottom for the winter. I put the mesh on there for help with the mites but I haven't noticed any difference since I took it off.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

The bees have to cool the hive. Too much ventilation is worse than not enough. If you are trying to air condition your house and someone leaves the door open, does that help? I would put a solid bottom in it.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beestopbarhives.htm#SBB

I see no difference in mites with or without the SBB.


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## Dan in PA (Apr 20, 2011)

Michael Bush said:


> The bees have to cool the hive. Too much ventilation is worse than not enough. If you are trying to air condition your house and someone leaves the door open, does that help? I would put a solid bottom in it.
> 
> http://www.bushfarms.com/beestopbarhives.htm#SBB
> 
> I see no difference in mites with or without the SBB.




Yup. I use a screen in my KTBH but the bottom board underneath is made of the same lumber as the rest of the hive. I've read that having a screen with no bottom board leads to package absconding.


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## Riverratbees (Feb 10, 2010)

I use screened bottom boards only if it is cold I slide the bottom in.


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## mhorowit (Sep 25, 2011)

If I wanted a screen bottom,would 1/4" hardware cloth be too large? Mike


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

bees and most everything else will go through 1/4 inch, 1/8 inch is the standard


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

The largest hardware cloth that bees cannot get through (if the wires are straight) is #7. #8 is typical as #7 is hard to find and if a wire gets bent sometimes a bee will work its way through it.


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## Bandersnoot (Oct 7, 2011)

Source for 1/8 hardware cloth:

http://www.hardwareandtools.com/index.php

A roll of 48" x 10' is $26. Shipped from Virginia, USA


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

Matt R said:


> Thanks for the info...
> 
> I had tried harware stores, home improvement stores, and several feed stores but all I can find is 1/4" harware cloth or window screen. I guess I will add a couple vents and keep looking for the screen to use on the next one.


Aluminum window screen works, and is too small to admit hive beetles. It is more fragile, but how much wear and tear will it get? I think my hives that have screened bottom boards (with #8 hardware cloth) have more trouble with SHB. Just anecdotal, but that's what I've observed.


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## Bush_84 (Jan 9, 2011)

The standard #8 hardware screen isnt' small enough to keep my bees from getting through. I am moving towards using window screen for my bottoms.


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## Joseph Clemens (Feb 12, 2005)

Wow - that's amazing, can you share some pics of your bees, please.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I have used various sizes on an observation hive so I know if they get out. I have watched a bee wriggle through a bent wire on #7 and after I straightened it no more got out. I have watched a bee wriggle through #6 which they will do but it's enough work that they usually won't bother unless they don't see another way. #5 is a tight squeeze but they can get through it pretty smoothly. #4 won't hardly slow them down. Once in a while they catch a leg on the wire and loose some pollen.


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## dachewitt (Jan 28, 2011)

I have screened bottoms but I will change to solid, because the bees can't control the environment with only screen (I live in humid Maryland), and with the solid bottom below the screen, it creates a space for debris, wax moths, and small hive beetles that the bees cannot police. I have not seen larvae in the hive, but have scraped the bottom boards three times this season because I have had both kinds of larvae and adults below (not sure if they are coming in through spaces where the board slides into place or the hive proper).

Debbie in MD


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