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Abdulah VejzovicOnly healthier bees produce more
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Chapter 2

VA bottom board — Mesh bottom board

From the video: Practical Beekeeping Part 2

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Transcript
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This is my bottom board, which I have named the VA bottom board. It is a mesh bottom board that in practical beekeeping can provide all the functions that practical beekeeping requires. It is made simply and straightforwardly to handle all operations in a practical apiary. It is made of several parts — a frame, a frame structure, and an insert. The insert pulls out completely; it is made of mesh and also has a metal sheet so we can monitor varroa whenever we need to. In most cases, I keep my bottom board both in summer and winter without this metal sheet. Only the insert is always in use, so I can fight varroa more easily. It also has two parts — a front entrance with this adjustable closing mechanism. And the rear entrance — you can see the landing board which is completely varroa-proof. It even pulls out, and on this landing board there is a smaller entrance of 4.2 cm. This serves us when we suppress the swarming impulse — we can suppress the swarming impulse through this bottom board at the right moment. So we don't have to struggle and tear down queen cells, because removing queen cells is just a delay in swarming. But with this bottom board, we achieve 100% suppression of the swarming impulse. It has its advantages. For moving hives and for treating against varroa — somewhere from 15 to 20 percent I remove varroa naturally. This has been tested over several years. Another advantage of this mesh bottom board is that brood stops earlier in autumn, which is a great advantage for a colony entering winter. And an even bigger advantage is that brood starts later in spring. So that our winter bees don't get exhausted in early spring, and that varroa starts a bit later — which we will fight around May with drone combs, in April. So with this bottom board we won't get moldy frames. Our bee colony won't be infected 7 times over. Our bee colony won't be infected 7 times over. So to speak, our colonies will be healthier, less mold, less moisture in the hive, and in the summer period every colony That is on a mesh bottom board will bring 3 to 6 kg more honey. Some Unemployed bees That would loaf around all day While on this bottom board they will Go out to the field to work The only Drawback of this bottom board Tested over several years Carefully studied, is that it uses Up to about a kilogram of honey In the winter period But it brings 5 kilograms in summer When we look at it That means we are still 3 to 4 kilograms in the plus With this bottom board It has a number of other advantages too A big advantage is In spring When we clean You can see in the previous shot When we clean, I do it with two fingers A 4-year-old child could pull out Could pull out this insert Into a bucket To clean out dead bees Which is a job we can do At zero degrees We don't have to wait for 15 or 17 degrees Without Without chilling the brood Without, um Yes Even at zero Even at minus 5 we can work We don't have to wait To clean the bottom boards And to Finish that job easily With some weight of 100 hives, 100 kilograms Because this insert weighs no more than a kilogram A kilogram and a half While each of my hives in spring Weighs about 50 kilograms So 50 Take it off onto the scale 50 put back, that's 100 kg times 100, that's 10 tons But with 100 kg You see how much easier it is In an hour and a half we clean The colony And move on with our work It has more Advantages — I have also solved The feeding problem Feeding of two-queen colonies In two-queen beekeeping Through the rear entrance A Coca-Cola bottle And an IV drip The kind used in medicine That is used Here, you see this lid from a honey jar The kind we put honey in I placed the IV tube end here I opened This rear entrance Here, you see I inserted This lid Into this bottom board, look The lid Here with this hook Under the roof I hooked the bottle Here Here I have placed Poured in two liters of syrup It flows as I regulate it About 60 to 80 Drops per minute It flows so the bees take everything So I have no problems at all With feeding the lower colony In two-queen beekeeping Among my inventions Um One cover board On the bee colony And that is, here you see An ordinary Cover board Which has a lower entrance, a relief entrance And an upper entrance Now this This lower entrance in the summer period On a strong colony we open For better honey ripening To have vertical ventilation And to relieve the lower entrances If we don't need it We close it with this plug Closed, and this one too Here you see An additional insert Made of fiberboard Goes on this cover board And that would be my new cover board Look It is made of 1 cm thick spruce It has a hole for That round 2-liter feeder When we don't have feeders This plug you see Is made to Close it Here I placed a thicker plastic sheet A thicker plastic sheet On this board For the reason that when I place Dough Protein patty So this board doesn't absorb moisture from the patty When I have placed the patty You saw that plastic sheet I cover it with I place this on top of the plastic And That patty, this board And this fiberboard serves me As insulating thermal material Through the entire winter I make the patties in autumn But I don't activate those patties Until the first Spring cleansing flight When The first spring cleansing flight happens And that is somewhere around mid-February In the month of February I just pull out this Feeder plug I put back the plastic sheet I cover it with the plastic And my patty is activated Then They consume that patty Normally eating it And my You can see in this

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Guide

VA Bottom Board — Screened Bottom Board

The VA bottom board is a screened bottom board designed to support all operations in a practical apiary. It is simple to build and provides a wide range of functions throughout the entire season.

Construction

The bottom board consists of a frame and an insert. The insert is fully removable, made of mesh, and has a metal tray used for varroa testing when needed. It is recommended to keep the bottom board both in summer and winter without the metal tray — with just the insert in place, which makes the fight against varroa easier.

The bottom board has a front entrance with an adjustable reducer and a rear entrance — a rail that is fully removable. On the rail there is also a smaller entrance of 4.2 cm which serves a special purpose.

Suppressing the swarming impulse

The smaller entrance is used to suppress the swarming impulse. Through this bottom board, it is possible to completely suppress the swarming impulse at any given moment — without tearing down queen cells, since removing queen cells only delays swarming and is not a permanent solution.

Advantages of the screened bottom board

Years of testing have shown a number of advantages:

  • During migration and varroa treatments — 15 to 20% of varroa mites are removed naturally.
  • In early autumn, brood rearing stops, which is a great advantage for a colony entering winter.
  • Brood rearing starts later in spring — winter bees do not get exhausted too early, and varroa starts reproducing a bit later, giving more time to fight it with drone combs in April and May.
  • Colonies are healthier, with less mold and moisture in the hive.
  • During the summer period, each colony on a screened bottom board produces 3 to 6 kg more honey.

Consumption and savings

The only drawback of this bottom board, established through years of thorough testing, is that it consumes about one kilogram more honey during the winter period. However, during the summer period it produces 5 kg more — resulting in a net gain of 3 to 4 kilograms.

Spring cleaning

A major advantage is spring cleaning. The insert is lightweight (about a kilogram and a half) and can be pulled out even by a child. Cleaning can be done at zero degrees, and even at minus 5 — without waiting for warmer weather and without chilling the brood.

For an apiary of 100 hives, cleaning the inserts means a total of about 100 kilograms of handling. The traditional way, each hive in spring weighs about 50 kg — lift it off and put it back, that is 10 tons of lifting! With inserts, the entire apiary can be cleaned in an hour or two.

Feeding two-queen colonies

The VA bottom board also enables efficient feeding of two-queen colonies. A bottle with syrup and an IV drip line (medical) for flow regulation is placed at the rear entrance. A jar lid is attached to the end of the drip line, threaded through the rear entrance onto the bottom board, and the bottle is hung with a hook under the roof. The flow is regulated to 60 to 80 drops per minute — the bees consume everything without any problems.

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