Two Different Bottom Boards for Organic Pest Control
Anyone who keeps bees in the South and warmer parts of the US knows all too well the damage that small hive beetles can cause. These pests can explode in numbers if not carefully managed.
Now you can order your Garden Hive with our exclusive 3-Way Bottom Board. One side is our standard white painted bottom board but the reverse side is a beetle trap that we call the Pool of Doom. Simply pour in a bit of cooking oil and attach the Pool of Doom under the fully screened hive bottom to quickly bring the hive’s beetle population down to manageable levels. Very simple, no chemicals.
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Folks in more northern climes should be fine with our standard bottom board included with every hive which has one side painted white for monitoring the Varroa mite population in your hive. Pam c ooking spray or Vaseline smeared on the white painted surface will trap and hold any mites which fall through the bottom screen. Attach the bottom board white side up for exactly 24 hours, then take it down and count the mites. The threshold for treatment in our area is 20-50 mites total for a big Langstroth depending on colony size and time of year. We like to see no more than 5 in our Garden Hive before we break out the sugar duster.
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What’s the third way? No bottom board at all. Any mite that falls, falls to the ground through our specially-sized screen covering the hive bottom. We generally leave our bottom board off unless we are counting mites or inviting some hive beetles for a dip in the Pool.
The 3-Way Bottom Board is an option for any of our hive packages or you can purchase one separately HERE. Please be aware that these bottom boards fit the 2.0 hives only.
