Varroa Mesh Floor

Tbh floor in spring.

Varroa mesh floor.

As the mites fall off their bee hosts they will fall through the mesh. It is thought that up to 20 of hatching varroa may drop out of the hive this way. However open mesh floors are increasingly preferred providing good air circulation and easy varroa monitoring. 21 99 including vat at 20.

Some designs and uses 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 destructor varroa mite is an external parasitic mite that attacks and feeds on the honey bees apis cerana and apis mellifera the disease caused by the mites is called varroosis. The species is a vector for at least five debilitating bee viruses. The idea is that mites that accidentally fall from adult bees fall through the screen and become ant food.

Varroa mites are an external parasitic mite that attacks honey bees these attacks cause a disease known as varroatosis. All well and good. The varroa mite can reproduce only in a honey bee colony. The white crumbs are wax the brown crumbs are found beneath brood areas some hives have slide out floors under a varroa mesh designed to permit examination of what is falling from the combs above.

Pour the mixture of dead bees mites and alcohol onto a 1 8 inch hardware cloth mesh wire screen over a receiving container or pan to filter out the honey bees from the smaller varroa. Inevitably the design of the floor also influences the entrance to the hive. Primarily these are used to count the numbers of varroa mites but i find the other detritus more interesting. The solution is simple a woven wire mesh flooring.

They can only thrive in a honey bee colony and if unchecked can spell the end of a hive. The container or pan should be light coloured or clear so the varroa can be easily seen. The main benefit to a mesh floor is that varroa falling from the frames above drop through the metal mesh and meet a chilly end in the grass below. Mesh floors are often said to control varroa.

All of my national hives had varroa floor inserts above solid wood floors but these restrict ventilation far more than an open mesh floor. Floors can be as simple as a sheet of ply with three lengths of softwood to raise the brood box up slightly. It attaches to the body of the bee and weakens the bee by sucking fat bodies. The list at the top left identifies some of the types by the name of the inventor or proponent of the design.

In practice it will be less about 250 square inches allowing for struts and battens.