A screened bottom board functions as a passive mechanical filter for your hive. When worker bees groom themselves after a flight, dislodged Varroa mites fall through the mesh floor and exit the hive completely. By physically removing these mites from the colony, the screen prevents them from crawling back up and re-attaching to a host bee, effectively slowing the growth rate of the infestation.
Core Takeaway A screened bottom board is a mechanical control tool that reduces mite populations by preventing re-infestation after natural bee grooming. While it can lower mite counts by 10% to 20%, its secondary value lies in diagnostics: it allows for non-invasive counting of fallen mites to accurately gauge colony health.
The Mechanics of Passive Control
Exploiting Natural Grooming Behavior
Honey bees naturally groom themselves and nestmates to remove pests. During this process, or simply as bees move through the hive, Varroa mites frequently lose their grip and fall off the bee’s body.
Preventing Re-attachment
In a standard hive with a solid wooden floor, a fallen mite lands on the bottom board and can easily crawl back onto a passing bee. A screened bottom board interrupts this cycle.
Permanent Removal
Because the mesh is large enough for a mite to pass through but too small for a bee, the mite drops through the screen to the ground below. Once outside the hive, the mite cannot return to the cluster, ensuring it is permanently removed from the population.
Using the Screen for Monitoring
The Sticky Board Method
Beyond passive control, screened bottoms are essential for active monitoring. You can slide a "sticky board"—a rigid sheet coated with adhesive like petroleum jelly or cooking spray—beneath the mesh.
Gaining High-Contrast Visibility
Using white monitoring paper or a metal board provides high visual contrast against the deep-red Varroa mites. This allows for accurate identification and counting of the parasites that have dropped from the bees.
Calculating Infestation Levels
To obtain accurate data, the sticky board is typically left in place for three days. By dividing the total number of captured mites by three, you calculate the average daily mite drop, a key metric for determining if treatment is necessary.
Verifying Treatment Efficacy
This monitoring setup is also a prerequisite for measuring the success of chemical interventions. By counting the drop rate following a miticide application, you can quantitatively evaluate how effective the treatment was in killing the parasites.
Understanding the Trade-offs
Limited Impact on Total Population
While beneficial, a screened bottom board is not a standalone cure. It serves as a supportive measure, capable of reducing mite infestations by approximately 10% to 20%.
Necessity of Integrated Management
Relying solely on the mechanical drop is insufficient for a highly infested colony. The screened board should be viewed as one component of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy, often requiring additional chemical or breeding interventions to ensure colony survival.
Making the Right Choice for Your Goal
Whether you are focusing on prevention or data collection, the screened bottom board serves two distinct functions.
- If your primary focus is Passive Control: Leave the screen open to the ground to allow up to 20% of dislodged mites to fall out of the hive permanently.
- If your primary focus is Colony Assessment: Insert a sticky board beneath the screen for three days to calculate the daily mite drop and determine if chemical intervention is required.
The screened bottom board transforms the hive floor from a passive surface into an active tool for sanitation and scientific management.
Summary Table:
| Feature | Function & Benefit |
|---|---|
| Mechanical Control | Prevents dislodged mites from re-attaching to bees by dropping them through the mesh. |
| Passive Reduction | Can naturally lower total Varroa mite populations by 10% to 20%. |
| Diagnostic Support | Enables the 'Sticky Board' method for accurate daily mite drop calculations. |
| Treatment Verification | Provides a non-invasive way to measure the efficacy of chemical miticide applications. |
| Hive Sanitation | Transforms the hive floor into an active tool for improved colony hygiene. |
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