# Disaster in my first week



## dlbrightjr (Dec 8, 2015)

Sorry to hear about your experience. Though I don't have any experience at all with screened bottom boards I've seen several posts mentioning it can cause package bees to abscond. Something you should probably research. Good luck with your nucs. 

P.S. Just my opinion, keep it simple at first. Nothing fancy.


----------



## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

bryandilts said:


> 3. I put some bee supplements in the sugar water feeder. This is my big suspect.
> 2. Screened bottom board with the stand 3 feet above ground level (too open?)


Those two in my opinion. 
Feed additives are not what bees need. What they need is sugar water syrup to get comb drawn. SBB's let in too much light and too much open space, especially in spring cooler weather. Good luck on the rebound, glad you didn't quit, it's a fascinating hobby.


----------



## bryandilts (Apr 12, 2017)

I agree. I have already put a piece of wood under the screens and thrown out the treated sugar water. 

Who knows? There is a chance a swarm will come to inhabit my empty hives. Admittedly I might be more likely to win a big lottery ticket. Still, you never catch blessings from God if you don't hold your hands out to receive them.


----------



## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

Yes, and then your 2 nucs will arrive and you'll need two more boxes to move them into. Then by the end of July, you'll decide to make four splits into nucs to try to over winter. Bee careful what you ask for!


----------



## Teal (Jan 30, 2014)

Oh no, I am so sorry!


----------



## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

Welcome Bryan!


----------



## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

bryandilts said:


> 2. Screened bottom board


There's your problem. Read this:

http://www.beesource.com/forums/sho...ottom-boards&highlight=screened+bottom+boards

Of course people told me I was wrong and that it didn't cause absconding, but I disagree and posts just like yours every year are why I wrote what I did.


----------



## Slow Drone (Apr 19, 2014)

Brad Bee said:


> There's your problem. Read this:
> 
> http://www.beesource.com/forums/sho...ottom-boards&highlight=screened+bottom+boards
> 
> Of course people told me I was wrong and that it didn't cause absconding, but I disagree and posts just like yours every year are why I wrote what I did.


Obviously you weren't wrong Brad:thumbsup: This thread is as the saying goes the proof is in the pudding in this case open screened bottom boards.


----------



## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

Slow Drone said:


> Obviously you weren't wrong Brad:thumbsup: This thread is as the saying goes the proof is in the pudding in this case open screened bottom boards.


Thanks for the vote of confidence SD.  I agree that I wasn't wrong, but that doesn't necessarily mean that I was right either. :scratch: I don't like them based on the principles of "power" ventilation, with which I'm very familiar. I have never used one on a hive but I do know there are people who must be succesful with them or they wouldn't be in use. I think ScBB users should even be able to admit that we do read lots of posts each spring which more or less say, "my brand new bees are no longer in my brand new hive that has that brand new ScBB on it."


----------



## Riverderwent (May 23, 2013)

bryandilts said:


> I'm coming up with a lot of things I might have done wrong.


Well done ordering the replacement packages so quickly. Your problem was the screened bottom boards. When folks first start doing something like raising bees, we tend to try too hard and to have enormous blind spots. The materials that you looked at to get started must not have had good information prominent enough about not using open screened bottom boards with new installs. Don't use open screened bottom boards with new installs of bees. You are not the first to have this happen, and you won't be the last. I have bought and built several screened bottom boards and have gotten rid of all of them after using them. What was I thinking.


----------



## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

I like to go a bit off tradition sometimes. My bees like a warm and cozy environment to keep the hive around 95F when
possible. With a screen bottom board at night time they cannot heat the hive to a desired temp. to keep the broods warm enough.
So no bottom screen for me solid is better. A newly installed package will not tolerate constant disturbing by the beekeeper. For one they have to be established first in their first year. Imagine that you have recently moved into a new neighborhood and your new neighbor constantly coming over asking for salt, eggs, etc. With a nuc hive they are already used to the hive environment while a new package they have not.


----------

