Screened Bottom Boards serve as a mechanical isolation tool designed to physically separate Varroa mites from the honeybee colony. By replacing the solid floor of a hive with a mesh of a specific size, these devices utilize gravity to ensure that falling mites—whether dropped naturally or during bee grooming—exit the hive permanently rather than returning to a host bee.
In Integrated Pest Management (IPM), the core function of a Screened Bottom Board is to break the physical connection between the parasite and the host. By preventing fallen mites from crawling back up, these devices significantly slow the population growth rate when combined with other control measures.
The Mechanics of Physical Exclusion
The Geometry of the Mesh
The fundamental mechanism of a Screened Bottom Board is the specific gauge of the wire mesh.
The openings are sized precisely to allow Varroa mites to pass through freely while remaining too small for the bees to escape. This creates a selective filter at the bottom of the colony.
Preventing Parasite Re-entry
On a traditional solid bottom board, a mite that falls off a bee remains inside the hive, allowing it to easily crawl back onto a passing host.
Screened boards eliminate this opportunity. Once a mite falls through the mesh into a collection area or onto the ground, it is mechanically isolated from the colony and cannot return.
Leveraging Natural Behaviors
Bees naturally groom themselves and their nestmates, a behavior that often dislodges parasites.
Screened Bottom Boards capitalize on this hygiene behavior. They turn a temporary dislodgement into permanent removal by immediately removing the fallen mite from the bees' environment.
Role in Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
Slowing Infestation Velocity
While screened boards are rarely sufficient as a sole treatment for heavy infestations, their primary IPM value is growth rate reduction.
By constantly removing a percentage of the mite population (the "natural drop"), the exponential growth of the parasite population is significantly slowed over time.
Synergy with Chemical Controls
The primary reference highlights that these boards are most effective when combined with chemical measures.
When a chemical treatment causes mites to drop, the screened board ensures those mites are permanently removed from the system, preventing any recovery or re-attachment.
Understanding the Limitations
Not a Silver Bullet
It is critical to understand that Screened Bottom Boards are a suppression tool, not an eradication tool.
They reduce the overall pressure on the colony, but they do not actively hunt or kill mites that remain attached to bees.
Dependency on Gravity
The mechanical function relies entirely on the mite falling off the bee.
If mites remain firmly attached to the bees or inside capped brood cells, the Screened Bottom Board has no mechanical effect on them.
Making the Right Choice for Your Goal
To effectively utilize Screened Bottom Boards within your management strategy, consider the following:
- If your primary focus is Prevention: Install screened boards as a permanent fixture to provide continuous, passive reduction of mite population growth throughout the season.
- If your primary focus is Active Treatment: Pair the screened board with approved chemical treatments to ensure that intoxicated or dislodged mites are immediately and permanently isolated from the colony.
By integrating this mechanical barrier, you add a layer of passive protection that enhances the efficacy of your entire pest management protocol.
Summary Table:
| Feature | Mechanical Function | IPM Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Mesh Geometry | Selective filtering based on size | Allows mites to fall through while keeping bees safe |
| Gravity-Based Isolation | Permanent removal of fallen parasites | Prevents mites from crawling back onto host bees |
| Grooming Synergy | Capitalizes on natural bee hygiene | Turns temporary mite dislodgment into permanent removal |
| Population Suppression | Continuous passive reduction | Slows the exponential growth rate of Varroa populations |
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References
- Aleš Gregorc, Blair J. Sampson. Diagnosis of Varroa Mite (Varroa destructor) and Sustainable Control in Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Colonies—A Review. DOI: 10.3390/d11120243
This article is also based on technical information from HonestBee Knowledge Base .
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