Screened bottom boards are the cornerstone of accurate mite monitoring because they solve the problem of data loss caused by honeybee hygiene. By replacing the solid hive floor with a metal mesh, these boards allow dead or dying mites to fall out of the colony’s reach immediately. This prevents worker bees from carrying the mite carcasses away, ensuring every fallen parasite remains on the collection tray for you to count.
The Core Insight Honeybees are naturally hygienic and will quickly remove debris, including dead mites, from a solid floor. The screened bottom board physically separates the fallen mites from the bees, preserving the "body count" essential for evaluating the success of your chemical treatments.
The Mechanics of Accurate Monitoring
Preventing Hygienic Removal
The primary challenge in monitoring Varroa infestations is the bee colony's natural instinct to clean the hive. If mites die on a solid bottom board, worker bees will physically remove them before a beekeeper can observe them.
The screened bottom board utilizes a specific mesh size (often 1/8 inch) that is large enough for mites to pass through but too small for bees. This creates a one-way exit for the parasites, removing them from the active hive environment instantly.
Validating Treatment Efficacy
This hardware is most critical following the application of miticides, particularly during autumn treatment cycles. As the medication kills the mites, they drop from the bees.
Because the screen prevents the bees from interfering with these fallen mites, they accumulate on a specialized collection tray or "sticky board" inserted below the mesh. This allows you to quantify the total mite load accurately to determine if your treatment was effective.
Beyond Monitoring: Mechanical Control Benefits
Breaking the Re-infection Cycle
While monitoring is the primary analytical function, screened bottom boards also serve as a passive mechanical control. Mites that naturally fall off bees pass through the screen and exit the hive entirely.
Without the screen, these mites could crawl back onto a host bee or re-enter brood cells. The screen effectively blocks this path of re-attachment, offering a continuous, non-chemical method of lowering the overall parasite load.
Environmental Regulation
Beyond pest management, this hardware significantly enhances internal hive ventilation. This increased airflow assists in humidity control, which is cited as essential for improving honeybee health and survival rates during winter months.
Operational Considerations
The Necessity of the "Sticky" Component
It is important to understand that the screen alone is a filter, not a trap. For monitoring purposes, the screen must be paired with a sticky monitoring board or tray placed underneath.
The adhesive layer on this board captures the mites permanently. This prevents wind from blowing the count away and ensures that even live mites that fall during a "sugar shake" or natural drop cannot crawl away before being counted.
Pest Management Versatility
The utility of the screened board extends to other pests, such as small hive beetles. The space beneath the mesh allows for the installation of oil trays.
These trays act as traps for beetles attempting to hide at the bottom of the hive, drowning them while the bees remain safely separated above the screen.
Making the Right Choice for Your Goal
To get the most out of your screened bottom board, align your usage with your immediate objective:
- If your primary focus is validating chemical treatments: Insert a sticky board beneath the screen immediately after applying miticides to capture and count the total mite drop, ensuring your autumn protocol worked.
- If your primary focus is passive reduction: Leave the collection tray out or clean (without adhesive) during non-monitoring periods to allow falling mites to exit the hive environment completely and die outside.
By physically isolating the parasite from the host, screened bottom boards transform mite management from a guessing game into a quantifiable science.
Summary Table:
| Feature | Function | Benefit to Beekeeper |
|---|---|---|
| 1/8 Inch Mesh | Separates bees from fallen mites | Prevents hygienic bees from removing mite evidence |
| Sticky Board Slot | Captures mites for precise counting | Enables data-driven validation of miticide treatments |
| Passive Airflow | Enhances internal hive ventilation | Improves humidity control and overwintering survival |
| Mechanical Barrier | Breaks the re-infection cycle | Prevents fallen mites from re-climbing onto host bees |
| Pest Versatility | Compatible with oil traps | Provides a dual-purpose solution for Small Hive Beetles |
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References
- Szymon Smoliński, Adam Głazaczow. Raised seasonal temperatures reinforce autumn Varroa destructor infestation in honey bee colonies. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01369-1
This article is also based on technical information from HonestBee Knowledge Base .
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