# Screened bottom (NOT pro / con)



## ruthiesbees (Aug 27, 2013)

You already know my answer, but I will post for the benefit of other readers. I like to have screened bottoms in all the hives to allow the debris, mites and small hive beetles to fall through, but I like to keep my solid IPM boards ON under them with fresh and fluffy diatomaceous earth to trap the bugs and kill them. 

It does get hot here in the south, so some hives, depending on their location in my yard, need the solid IPM board removed in July & Aug in order to avoid heavy bearding on the front of the hives. (2 of my hives are in the front yard and that tends to freak the neighbors out).


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## thebrighthive (Dec 19, 2017)

We made screened bottom boards years ago for our horizontal Langstroths and top bars. We used 'solid' boards underneath the screens in order to close the hive off when needed. We built our slide-out trays by framing 2x2 pine (super cheap), and stapling in 8-mesh screen onto the bottom of the pine frame. Then we screwed corner braces (also very cheap) onto the bottoms of the hives to create the 'slide-in' effect for the boards. 

When we wanted to seal the hive off, we filled the trays with woodchips, sawdust, diatomaceous earth, etc, more or less making them solid. When it was time for mite counts, we'd dump the slide-out tray contents into a bucket, and install corex panels into the trays. This was a good option for us, as opposed to just making plywood slide-out trays, because we were experimenting with 'living' bottom boards, seeing if developing fungal and bacterial relationships in the hive (similar to a natural tree hollow) would help the bees. If you just want them solid, a quick way to accomplish this would be to cut out plywood, frame it if you like, and use corner braces (linked above).

I wish I had a better picture, but maybe the attached photo may help my description make sense-- you can see the 2x2 frame of the slide-out tray (not filled with woodchips at the time) underneath the bottom board.

In our climate (zone 7 at the time), a wide open hive bottom in our horizontal Langstroth and top bar hives seemed to make it harder for our bees to control hive temperature and humidity in the summer. We stick with solid bottoms now, and just provide good upward ventilation through the inner covers (horizontal Langstroth) or the gabled roof (top bar). 

We've also seen wax moths and SHB sneak into the hive through standard 8-mesh screened bottom boards, but I know that doesn't relate to your question


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## mischief (Jan 21, 2017)

Hi, my long hive has a screened bottom board from one end to the other.
I have it oiled with peanut oil,(because thats what I had).
I use it to see where brood is, where frames are being drawn out- empty or starter strips are used. I dont have any drawn comb to put in.
I leave the debrie on the board after noticing that it attracts the wax moth. I have found in the short time I have had the hive, that they seem to get stuck below the screen and with the debrie on the hard board, often wind up on this so I can then flick them off onto the ground.
It also shows me what my mite count is after I have done some sort of treatment. 
I started with FGMO, had to do something a bit more dramatic-apilife, then a sugar sprinkle -or whatever its called, to see how things changed.
Sometimes, I get under the hive and look up through the screen to get a different view of live in the hive but not for too long because they dont seem to like the bottom opened.
This with a window that also runs right across the hive lets this newbie learn alot without having to open up all the time and upset them.
Oh, and when I fog with the FGMO, I open up all the solid boards and let rip through the screen, then close it all up again. 
I think this is better than blasting through the entranceway.
If its windy when I feel I need to do this, I put a bit of ply board across the windward side to stop the wind from interfering with my fogging.


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## Kathleen Bourn (Oct 31, 2014)

The main purpose for my hybrid screened bottoms is for ventilation. I only screen half the bottom and am able to close it off (or reduce it) in the winter.












(Sorry, picture is upside down)

I can raise or lower the board, depending on the weather.


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