The primary function of a screened bottom board in monitoring is physical isolation. By utilizing a mesh screen, these boards separate falling Varroa destructor mites from the bee colony, allowing them to pass through to a collection tray below. This physical barrier prevents bees from accessing and removing the mite carcasses, enabling an accurate, non-invasive count of natural mortality.
By decoupling the fallen mites from the colony's hygienic activities, screened bottom boards provide a secure method to quantify infestation dynamics without disturbing the hive's internal structure.
The Mechanics of Physical Isolation
Separation via Mesh Design
The core mechanism is a mesh screen sized specifically to filter biological matter. The openings are large enough to allow Varroa mites—whether dead, dying, or dislodged—to fall through via gravity.
However, the mesh is small enough to act as a physical barrier to the honey bees. This ensures that while mites exit the living space of the hive, the bees remain contained above the screen.
Preventing Hygienic Removal
In a standard solid-bottom hive, bees naturally exhibit hygienic behavior, removing debris and dead mites from the hive floor. This behavior would distort data, as the evidence of mortality is carried away before it can be counted.
Screened bottom boards interrupt this process. Because the bees cannot access the collection tray beneath the screen, the fallen mites remain in place until the beekeeper performs a count, ensuring the data reflects true drop rates.
Non-Invasive Assessment
Traditional monitoring methods often require opening the hive, disturbing the brood nest, or sacrificing a sample of bees (such as in an alcohol wash).
Screened bottom boards allow for passive monitoring. Technicians and beekeepers can slide out the collection drawer to assess infection dynamics without using smoke or disrupting the colony’s daily activities.
Enhancing Accuracy with Collection Tools
The Role of Sticky Boards
To further secure the data, a sticky inspection board or "sticky pad" is often placed in the collection drawer. This traps the mites immediately upon contact, preventing them from being blown away by wind or moved by other insects.
High-Contrast Backgrounds
Effective monitoring relies on visual identification. Many collection trays or sticky boards utilize a white or light-colored background.
This high contrast makes the small, reddish-brown Varroa mites stand out clearly against the background. This visibility is essential for accurate daily or weekly counts, reducing the margin of error due to human oversight.
Understanding the Trade-offs
Interpreting "Natural Drop"
It is critical to understand that the count obtained from a screened bottom board represents a passive index, not a total population count. It measures how many mites are falling, which must be correlated with total colony size to estimate the full infestation level accurately.
Debris Interference
The mesh screen allows more than just mites to pass through; hive debris, pollen, and wax cappings will also accumulate on the tray. High levels of debris can obscure mites, making accurate counting time-consuming and requiring a trained eye to distinguish parasites from trash.
Potential for Re-entry
If a sticky board or oil trap is not used in the collection drawer, live mites that fall through the screen may not die immediately. Without a trapping agent, there is a theoretical risk of mites crawling back up the hive stand, though the screen makes re-entry difficult.
How to Apply This to Your Project
To effectively utilize screened bottom boards for Varroa management, align your usage with your specific data requirements:
- If your primary focus is accurate data collection: Pair the screened bottom board with a sticky, white inspection board to prevent mite movement and maximize visual contrast.
- If your primary focus is colony health maintenance: Use the counts from natural mortality to determine the precise timing for ecological or chemical control measures, rather than treating on a calendar schedule.
- If your primary focus is commercial efficiency: Utilize deep bottom boards with drawer systems to allow for rapid checking of multiple hives without dismantling the hive stacks.
Effective monitoring turns the screened bottom board from a simple piece of hardware into a critical diagnostic tool for apiary longevity.
Summary Table:
| Feature | Function in Monitoring | Key Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Mesh Screen | Acts as a physical barrier for bees while allowing mites to pass. | Enables passive, non-invasive mite collection. |
| Collection Tray | Captures fallen Varroa mites beneath the colony. | Prevents hygienic removal of mites by worker bees. |
| Sticky Boards | Traps mites immediately upon falling through the mesh. | Secures data by preventing wind or insect interference. |
| High-Contrast Surface | Provides a white/light background for visual inspection. | Enhances visibility and accuracy during mite counts. |
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References
- Ingemar Fries, Peter Rosenkranz. Swarming in honey bees (<i>Apis mellifera</i>) and <i>Varroa destructor</i> population development in Sweden. DOI: 10.1051/apido:2003032
This article is also based on technical information from HonestBee Knowledge Base .
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