# Screen Bottom Board Mesh Size



## Murphy (Jun 7, 2005)

I bought SBB from Betterbee and have been having a problem with bees trying to go through and getting stuck.
I just made my own SBB's with 1/8" mesh to solve this problem.

Has anyone had this issue? And what are the recommended sizes of mesh for SBB?

Thanks,
Murphy


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## George Fergusson (May 19, 2005)

All the SBB's I've seen, bought, or built have #8 (1/8") mesh. You should ask Betterbee about it.

George-


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## Murphy (Jun 7, 2005)

Betterbees measure out at about 3/16 to a 1/4 inch.
I would return it but I tore it to pieces to see how it was built.
I built deeper ones so I can dust with sugar.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>I bought SBB from Betterbee and have been having a problem with bees trying to go through and getting stuck.

Betterbee uses #6 hardware cloth which bees can barely squeeze through. Their reason is that more debris falls through and it stays cleaner.

>I just made my own SBB's with 1/8" mesh to solve this problem.

You assume it's a problem. Betterbee doesn't think so.

>Has anyone had this issue?

All the ones I have are #8.

>And what are the recommended sizes of mesh for SBB?

I use #8. Betterbee uses #6. #7 would work and the bees still can't get through it unless some wires are bent.


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## Murphy (Jun 7, 2005)

Michael,

Yes, I assume its a problem if I have dead bees in stuck in the mesh. That may not be a problem for Betterbee but it is for me.
I get the impression you feel I am critizing them. This is not true all I am trying to find out if is just me and what size others are using
As for more debris falling through the #6 verses #8 I do not see the difference.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>Yes, I assume its a problem if I have dead bees in stuck in the mesh.

Perhaps. Or perhaps they are bees that died and they are in the process of falling through the mesh.

>I get the impression you feel I am critizing them.

I'm not saying you are or not, just that they put #6 on for their reasons. Obviously I don't agree with them or I'd buy #6 to build mine.

>This is not true all I am trying to find out if is just me and what size others are using

I use #8. Brushy Mt. uses #8.

>As for more debris falling through the #6 verses #8 I do not see the difference.

I never had one that was #6 so I don't know, but I like the #8 just fine.


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## Brent Bean (Jun 30, 2005)

I have had good luck using #8 mesh, debris and even small hive beetles fall threw it with no problem. I have never had any indication of the screen blocking up.


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## Brent Bean (Jun 30, 2005)

[No message]


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## Murphy (Jun 7, 2005)

The reason I changed to #8 was when I opened the hive and looked at the screen there were approx. 20 bees stuck in the mesh squirming. Some had allready died.


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## notaclue (Jun 30, 2005)

I also have a Better Bee SBB that came with their starter kit. I haven't had any problems to date, they crawl along it and will fight through it, anything that tries to get in. I have seen them poke their heads through once in awhile, but not try to climb through. Yours could very well have been some that croaked (are they all facing the same way and in the same area?). Or they may be like me and my brothers used to be... if we could get our head in it chances are we got the rest of us stuck in it (shows why tigers eat their young doesn't it?). I will be using #8 when I build my own anyway. David


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## Dan Williamson (Apr 6, 2004)

>>even small hive beetles fall threw it with no problem.

Brent-

Are you speaking from experience? Are there SHB in your area? You aren't that far from me!

Dan


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## Brent Bean (Jun 30, 2005)

Dan:

Yes I am speaking form experience in 2003 I got SHB in a package of bees form Texas, they werent much of a problem . They never did any damage and using Checkmite and Gardstar I got rid of them. I havent had any at all this year so they must have died out, but I will stay vigilant. There is a good article in this Months American Bee Journal about SHB.


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## BerkeyDavid (Jan 29, 2004)

Does anyone have plans for SBB? I want to build some that can be easily closed up for OA mite treatment. FYI I got my local hardware store to order the #8 hardware cloth, cost was $100 for 100 feet of 24 inch #8 hardware cloth which is a lot better than the catalogues and no shipping.


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## Antero (Jan 9, 2005)

david have a look


http://www.beemaster.com/beebbs/viewtopic.php?t=1603


Terry


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## Antero (Jan 9, 2005)

david also


http://www.beesource.com/plans/ipmbottom.htm


Terry


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## Dan Williamson (Apr 6, 2004)

>>There is a good article in this Months American Bee Journal about SHB.

I know that is what prompted me to ask you. I was curious if you were seeing them in your neck of the woods. You answered my next question if they were still around. Glad you got rid of them. I hope they don't get established up here.

Dan


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## Brent Bean (Jun 30, 2005)

I dont think the upper mid-west SHB will be a problem anytime soon, there reproductive success rates drop when soil temperatures drop below 86 degrees and will not hatch at all below 50 degrees. From November to mid April soil temperatures are below 50 here most years, and there success rate is linear between the two temperatures. So the amount of days they have for optimum reproduction are minimized. Unlike the south east states. But we cant take it for granted that they will not adapt.


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## BerkeyDavid (Jan 29, 2004)

Terry

Thanks for the links to the SBB, very helpful.


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## mwjohnson (Nov 19, 2004)

Murphy,
I copied Better Bee screens.I bought 1 for a pattern.I used #6 mesh,after much heart wrenching,because of all the debris I found on mine last spring.They were plugged up wicked.

I'm not sure I will leave them on this winter,they are a lot of work to make/paint/clean.

Anyway,I am glad I went with the #6,as this year I have seen larva/pupae/fiberous cacoons(wax worms,I think)hanging out under the screen.When I open up the back to install a drop board,there is always at least a dozen bees under the screen trying to get those little b******s out of their hive,letting the bees access the space under the screen is probably a good thing.IMHO.

I haven't tried #8,which is easier to get.I got 2, 10' rolls of #6 from better bee and made 24 screens.

I don't know if you are going with a open bottom,or going to set it on the old bottom board.I would probably go with a smaller mesh if I wasn't using a solid bottom under the screen.

Mark


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## peggjam (Mar 4, 2005)

One thing to consider when building a SBB is that the mesh size needs to be small enough that YJ's can't fit through. If you have a SBB on a weak hive YJ's will clean them out in short order, and either kill all the bees, or force them to abandon the hive. Just something to think about.

peggjam


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## notaclue (Jun 30, 2005)

A rookie question. What size is the largest for YJs? Thanks! David


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## peggjam (Mar 4, 2005)

Anything a honeybee can get through, so can a YJ. Weak colonies just can't defend that kind of opening.

peggjam


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## Murphy (Jun 7, 2005)

Mark,
One of the reasons I built my own (apart from being cheap) is that my bees insisted on trying to go out through the Betterbee screen and got stuck where they died.

I had to take the Betterbee screen of and turn it upside down and give a hard shake to get them out.

With the #8 I have no problems. 
I agree with Peggjam about the yellow jackets they seem to find the screen appealing as a point of entry. #8 blocks them.

I also went to making my own SBB's so I could make them deeper so when I dusted with sugar it could pile up and not be scraped off when removing the sticky board.

Murphy


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