Vaporiser & TBH

[abm]

This is my second season and in July I placed a collected swarm into a new TBH purchased from the supplier on the east coast, this TBH has the entrance to the left hand side with an OMF in the centre. The bees were left undisturbed with only a peek now and again to observe their growth and to feed with fondant, they have covered almost just under half the TBH and my divider / end bar is just short of the OMF.
Having purchased a Vaporiser, my question is when I apply this and should any mites fall, will the bees eventually "housekeep" and remove the mites out the front door, as the OMF is redundant until the colony expend this year?

 

[Gilberdyke John]

This is my second season and in July I placed a collected swarm into a new TBH purchased from the supplier on the east coast, this TBH has the entrance to the left hand side with an OMF in the centre. The bees were left undisturbed with only a peek now and again to observe their growth and to feed with fondant, they have covered almost just under half the TBH and my divider / end bar is just short of the OMF.
Having purchased a Vaporiser, my question is when I apply this and should any mites fall, will the bees eventually "housekeep" and remove the mites out the front door, as the OMF is redundant until the colony expend this year?

There's a guy posts in British Beekeeping on facebook with a lot of experience with top bar hives who might be helpful but surely any dead (fallen) mites will end up in the bottom of the vee and fall through the omf strip?
Not sure what you mean about the OMF being redundant?

 

[abm]

A drawing of how I mean.



Thanks for the prompt reply John.

 

[Fritillary]

Perhaps a bit dim here, but puzzled: You make it sound as though the OMF doesn't run below the full length of the hive - ?

Having just seen your drawing abm, now I am puzzled about the OFM!

 

[abm]

No it does not, the OMF is only a short span across the centre of the floor.

 

[Fritillary]

Why is that? I can't see any sense in that at all.

(I'm sorry to say, as far as I can see, some TBHs appear to be being manufactured and sold by people who have actually never used one, which is no help to bee or beekeeper.)

 

[Gilberdyke John]

A drawing of how I mean.

View attachment 13918

Thanks for the prompt reply John.

A drawing is better than a thousand words
I haven't seen a tbh with the small patch of mesh floor your drawing indicates. I understood the whole length of the hive bottom was mesh so regardless of where the bees are any debris could fall through.
I'd call the small patch you have a floor ventilator.

As to your original question any dead mites will end up in the floor debris but being dead they shouldn't be a problem. You can clean out later if the bees don't do it.
Note I'm not a tbh keeper but I read a lot

 

[Fritillary]

Well your bees will have had more protection from the elements this winter!
My hives have a mesh floor all the way along, but I do wedge up a board underneath it when it's v cold.

 

[madasafish]

When? NOW.
Leave it much later and you will have sealed brood. Vaping with sealed brood needs 3-4 attempts 5-6 days apart to be effective. Given that vaping TBHs is a pia, do it now when brood is minimal.

As above,dead mites will fall on floor. The floor usually collects all sorts of detritus...

Your OMF is an Open Floor ventilator - so if you are going to vape, seal it temporarily or all the OA vapour will go out through the bottom.

Been there, done that.

 

[abm]

Thanks all............ I will post images soon.

 

[drex]

Sounds like the design Thornes use. My mate bought one and I inherited it. The omf is indeed a small portion just in the central part of the bottom. As you say, since the colony expands towards the centre ( from the left hand entrance) it is redundant until the colony expands sufficiently to fill that central part of the hives. Dead mites will just fall to the floor in your set up. The entrance slot is not tall enough for my vaporiser to fit through, by the way.
My own TBH is home made to the bio eyes design, with mesh the full length of the floor. I have a hinged bottom board under this. Keep it closed over winter and open all summer

 

[ColinS]

A drawing of how I mean.

View attachment 13918

Thanks for the prompt reply John.

Hi ABM

Are your top bars running across the hive long side to long side or are they supported on one (right) side by your divider as your drawing would indicate that - I understand if it is just a bad drawing but your "frames"/top bars should look like that from the end.

Also my understanding, of the purpose of the mesh floor is that any living mites, that are groomed off or fall off, go thru the mesh to the ground or a vaselined/sticky inspection board to stop them crawling back into the hive.

 

[Little John]

Also my understanding, of the purpose of the mesh floor is that any living mites, that are groomed off or fall off, go thru the mesh to the ground or a vaselined/sticky inspection board to stop them crawling back into the hive.

ONE purpose of an OMF can be as you describe. Another purpose is to provide ventilation from below. If you are one of those beekeepers who apply Vapourised Oxalic Acid, then the mites are either dead, or as good as dead, before they hit the bottom of the hive, regardless of it's structure.

Indeed, since the advent of Vapourised Oxalic Acid as a miticide of choice, many beekeepers have returned to the former practice of fitting solid floors, particularly with nucleus hives.
LJ

 

[abm]

Thanks.

 

[abm]

this was early September... on 6 tb frames

 

[Eyeman]

Nice picture
All that healthy naturally drawn comb.
I'm jealous.