Screened Bottom Board (Front Drawer) - Waxed

A screened bottom board is an excellent choice for a beehive. At any time of the season, screening with sticky cardboard is possible, allows you to assess the varroa infestation rate and, above all, can guide your choice of treatment to prevent the colony from collapsing. This is the drawer's main use. Besides its use for screening, the drawer should always be removed and stored. Otherwise, it risks becoming the hive's "garbage can" and can be a breeding ground for certain parasites, such as the wax moth. The exceptions to this rule are as follows:

1) to promote brood development in spring; in this case, the drawer can be put in place for 2 to 3 weeks as soon as the hive starts to become active (usually in April).

2) The hive is in a corridor exposed to strong winds during the cold winter months; the drawer will offer beneficial protection.

The use of sticky cards for varroa mite detection:

Put a sticky cardboard (SB-1150) Place the mites on the drawer (under the mesh) for 72 hours and count the natural fall of the varroa mites. Divide the number of hours into 24-hour periods, in this case 3, and then divide the total number of varroa mites by this number. If, for example, you count 36 varroa mites after a 72-hour period, you would divide 36 by 3, which gives a result of 12 varroa mites per 24 hours. Record the results carefully. Treatment thresholds vary depending on the time of year. Normally, treatment is necessary when there are 3 or more varroa mites per day.