Varroa Floor Plans

These are a selection of designs of open mesh floors called screened bottom boards in the u s that have been generated by different individuals for ventilation or monitoring varroa mite fall.

Varroa floor plans.

A sheet of paper. Video of how to design a varroa management strategy. Make a good plan for this year and keep those parasites under control. An open mesh floor could have a ventilation area of 18 by 18 totalling 324 square inches.

Varroa mite infestation represents one of the greatest threats to honey bee health honey production and pollination services. The old entrance which is now at the rear of the hive is used to accommodate the drawer which can be pulled out without disturbing the bees. Pine or cedar is recommended for all construction except for the top cover and floor of the bottom board which use 13 mm 1 2 in plywood. Varroa mite infestation represents one of the greatest threats to honey bee health honey production and pollination services.

On this page i ve included a video and a pdf on all the current 2018 tools for varroa and what i think of them. Pdf of making a plan for varroa varroa treatment decision tree. Plywood is less affected by changes in. The bees then fly from the new entrance see fig.

The method of using the varroa floor is to reverse the original floorboard and place the varroa floor on top. Inevitably the design of the floor also influences the entrance to the hive. Varroa mite most beekeepers have modified the bottom board by cutting out a large rectangular portion and covering the space with wire mesh. Tools for varroa management page 3 introduction every honey bee colony in the continental united states and canada either has varroa mites today or will have them within several months.

Floors can be as simple as a sheet of ply with three lengths of softwood to raise the brood box up slightly. Varroa mites that. By contrast a varroa floor insert above a wooden floor will only allow air through the hive entrance which is high by 18 inches. How do we know what ones are best.

Varroa mites varroa destructor are the most influential of all of the pests and diseases of the european honey bee apis mellifera today. There are a lot of options for varroa treatments. However open mesh floors are increasingly preferred providing good air circulation and easy varroa monitoring. When honey bee colonies are untreated or treated ineffectively colonies can fail and beekeepers can incur major economic losses and ultimately agricultural food production may be impacted.

When honey bee colonies are. The bottom board on the left is a screened bottom board whereas the one on the right is a solid bottom board.