What can you deduce from the inspection tray?

[Erichalfbee]

The under floor entrance seems to have a lot of advantages. Easier to defend, mouse proof.. and now this. I've never seen them for sale. Do you have to make them yourself?

Search on the forum for brynmair floor
Just had a recipe somewhere

 

[charlievictorbravo]

The under floor entrance seems to have a lot of advantages. Easier to defend, mouse proof.. and now this. I've never seen them for sale. Do you have to make them yourself?

JMB has a design on the forum somewhere but I started out with this design

CVB

 

[linoleum bonypart]

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&s...vBmKWNrNjxQKimNeA&sig2=dibvXAAQL8VNSDkQaMnUeQ

 

[BeeJuice]

Thanks for the links. I'm not sure my carpentry skills run to this.

I wonder why none of the many hive makers/sellers don't make/sell these?

 

[madasafish]

Thanks for the links. I'm not sure my carpentry skills run to this.

I wonder why none of the many hive makers/sellers don't make/sell these?

If I can do it, anyone can. Bodging works well.

 

[BeeJuice]

I've found one on eBay - might give it a go:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BEEKEEPIN...hash=item25cd178900:m:mbE4nW9Yw0jMzaCPtPUpZ0Q

 

[charlievictorbravo]

I've found one on eBay - might give it a go:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BEEKEEPIN...hash=item25cd178900:m:mbE4nW9Yw0jMzaCPtPUpZ0Q

here's another - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Underfloo...536704?hash=item3ad7515c80:g:IN8AAOSwPCVX7tFH --£24, free delivery and open to offers.

DIY fabrication is easy - just butt joints, screws and and glue with staples for the mesh. If you buy One, you could use it as a template for others.

My monitoring board is supported by nails, hammered into the side supports with a loose-fitting board so that any live mite thinking of crawling back up into the hive would have to be really lucky to find the "nail bridge" to the side support.

CVB

 

[linoleum bonypart]

I need to make three

 

[Walrus]

What can you deduce from the inspection tray?

... apart from the number of varroa?

Probably too late for this season but...

Just been re-reading Manley and he says that they changed the floors in early Spring and had a good look at the debris prior to scraping it all off. Some things to look for:

- dead drones or drone pupae (drone layer)
- worker pupae (prolific queen extended brood nest too rapidly)
- dead virgin (supersedure at the wrong time of year)
- wax cappings (indicates cluster size)

I wonder if commercial/large beekeepers scrape a floor then use it on the next hive, or if they remove & replace with previously cleaned floors? it would mean holding double the number of floors as hives...not sure many would do that?