Part OMF & part solid floor

[Etton]

Chance to buy some OMF but not quite big enough for national hive floor. Would a part & part work? If so it might also overcome damage to OMF by Vaping ie vape under the solid wood part of the floor not the mesh. For example if the mesh was 400mm by 400m could have a wooden border of 50mm each side. Does anyone do part & part floors

 

[fatshark]

Paynes poly nucs
MB/Paradise poly Nationals

Both have much smaller mesh area than floor area overall.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Chance to buy some OMF but not quite big enough for national hive floor. Would a part & part work? If so it might also overcome damage to OMF by Vaping ie vape under the solid wood part of the floor not the mesh. For example if the mesh was 400mm by 400m could have a wooden border of 50mm each side. Does anyone do part & part floors

I don't follow the logic of vapourising under the solid part of the floor. You want the warm vapours to rise up into the brood chamber.
Unless you are using a plastic mesh any damage to the metal will be minimal. A brush off and a bit of aluminium paint will sort out surface corrosion or you could use stainless steel mesh.

 

[Eyeman]

One concern with sublimating under the OMF is how much OA condenses on the mesh? My experience is some OA does condense on the mesh, the condensed crystals are very light weight and hopefully don't significantly reduce the overal treatment dose.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

One concern with sublimating under the OMF is how much OA condenses on the mesh? My experience is some OA does condense on the mesh, the condensed crystals are very light weight and hopefully don't significantly reduce the overal treatment dose.

Your comment comes round again and again.
The normal way (is anything normal with bees?) is to increase the measurement of OA in the sublimator pan usually by 1/2 a gram, although it's oft been said the dose is not critical.

 

[drex]

I vapouriser through the entrance of my wooden nationals. Sometimes there is a discreet pile of OA on the inspection board a few days later. I assume that happens when the vape pan is directly under a frame bottom, and more vapour condenses on that. Does not seem to affect efficacy.

 

[user 6228]

Your comment comes round again and again.
The normal way (is anything normal with bees?) is to increase the measurement of OA in the sublimator pan usually by 1/2 a gram, although it's oft been said the dose is not critical.

a section of tube on the sublimator, or postioning the sublimator so that the hot air/vapour flow is focused on a small area of mesh in the centre . That bit of mesh will get hot but the mesh at the edges will remain cool. More difficult floor installations might be fixed by having the tube wired to the mesh permanently.

 

[Little John]

Chance to buy some OMF but not quite big enough for national hive floor. Would a part & part work? If so it might also overcome damage to OMF by Vaping ie vape under the solid wood part of the floor not the mesh. For example if the mesh was 400mm by 400m could have a wooden border of 50mm each side. Does anyone do part & part floors

Most of my hives are part OMF, part solid - I'm making some slatted-rack floors at the moment which will also be only part-OMF. But - I always apply VOA above the OMF, not below it. Can't see any obvious advantage to applying VOA from below.
LJ

 

[Erichalfbee]

Does anyone do part & part floors

Yes my underfloor entrance ones are......... about half and half for the nucs and a bit more mesh for the full size hives

 

[farmerboy5470]

Most of my hives are part OMF, part solid - I'm making some slatted-rack floors at the moment which will also be only part-OMF. But - I always apply VOA above the OMF, not below it. Can't see any obvious advantage to applying VOA from below.
LJ

Likewise mine are part OMF, part solid. Possible advantage of going under OMF, less chance of this happening...? http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=38586

 

[Little John]

Interesting - never heard of that happening before with a Varrox applicator. Very odd. With my set-up, although VOA enters the hive above the OMF, the kit itself operates outside the hive.
LJ

 

[Swarm]

I modified my underfloor entrances with the mesh area radically reduced. They have a four inch rim of wood around the mesh and a board designed to slide in and seal the rear and it extends a few inches to support the tool, while a piece of ply taped across the porch seals the front.