varroa mesh floor blocking?

[skydragon]

My (National) Hive has a Varroa mesh floor and is on a wooden stand which lifts it approx 6" - 8" off a gravel surface.

Question - Later in the year as the weather gets cold, should I be looking to block off the mesh floor, by inserting a piece of plywood sheet into the runners underneath the mesh floor - or should I be leaving the mesh floor open all year round?

 

[hedgerow pete]

it stays open with me unless it gets to be very very cold in which case i have an insert with a smaller hole 3" and i stuff that in from below

 

[Poly Hive]

I leave mine open all year round. Did so in the NE of Scotland too. Where it is considerably colder in Winter.

PH

 

[Onge]

Out all year round.

Just use the ply for monitoring varroa drop and when applying Apiguard or similar Thymol based treatment.

Good luck

 

[JCBrum]

I assume you guys that leave the omf open all winter use cover boards with no holes ?

 

[Onge]

Well last year I had 2 holes in the cover board and the OMF open all winter.

No problems.

Scince ive started reading stuff here I'm considering going down the no ventilation route.

I will be getting some Langstroth poly's for next year and they have no roof ventilation.

I will still leave the floors open all the time

 

[JCBrum]

I had one hive with a nuc sized colony in it last year, and an omf. I put the slide in and left it in all winter, with one hole in the crown board, and a flat roof with 3mmx 20mm vent slots in two sides (around the support bars).

I lost access to it in Sept and hadn't fed it much, and regained it in late March. It was full of chalk brood and damp. The bees nearly died. I've spent all year getting them back to a reasonable size colony. No honey yet.

 

[rich]

I assume you guys that leave the omf open all winter use cover boards with no holes ?

Yep, no holes and 50mm insulation over the crown board to boot. That seems to get them up and running nicely in the spring

Rich

 

[Hivemaker.]

I use varroa floors with slide in,but mostly i use solid floors,feed hole open,no top insulation on full size hives,easier to feed fondant.

 

[Bcrazy]

Hey Hivemaker,

Are you copying me or am I copying you?

Regards;

 

[skydragon]

Many thanks for the replies and feedback.

Looks like I will keep the mesh floor unbolcked all winter then, unless it turns 'arctic', in which case a ply blocking board with a few airholes will be used.

I am planning to add a simple 2" wooden extension on top of the brood box and then the standard National roof straight on top of that. (the extension forms a simple 2" high eek above the BB frames, the type that is used when dosing apiguard, so that I have the room to lay bakers fondant on top of the BB frame bars during winter)

I wasn't planning to add anything between the BB/eek and the roof (so the surface exposed above the frames/bees would be the National roof itself). Is this a good idea or do I need to add more insulation??

 

[oliver90owner]

Is this a good idea or do I need to add more insulation??

No and yes.

One hive. One winter loss = 100%.

Insulate. Cost is minimal. Heat rises (the warm air).

Keep them warm. Less food is needed to generate the thermal energy required, if less is lost to the suroundings.

Regards, RAB