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Simon the Beekeeper Nationals

PostPosted:22 Feb 2021, 18:08
by gwt_uk
Hello all,

Just wondering if anyone had bought a National hive from Simon the Beekeeper? I can’t quite understand the varroa inspection board set up. It appears to be a Perspex sheet which sits above the varroa mesh? The entrance block then sits on top of that.

I may be misinterpreting the pics but thought the point of a varroa floor was to let the debris/mites etc to fall through?

Re: Simon the Beekeeper Nationals

PostPosted:23 Feb 2021, 06:48
by Alfred
Surely not?
The blurb suggests it's a wooden tray.
So you dig out a propolised entrance block first then remove the tray from the front of the hive?
In the depths of winter?

Re: Simon the Beekeeper Nationals

PostPosted:23 Feb 2021, 09:47
by cactusmike
IMHO the sheet is in order to be able to count the fall of varroa mites after treatment. It can be removed after but other more expert beekeepers could comment

Re: Simon the Beekeeper Nationals

PostPosted:23 Feb 2021, 10:04
by Alfred
But the rest of the world puts the tray under the mesh to collect a count.

Re: Simon the Beekeeper Nationals

PostPosted:23 Feb 2021, 11:00
by Steve 1972
The floor must be upside down.. :lol:

Re: Simon the Beekeeper Nationals

PostPosted:23 Feb 2021, 11:07
by gwt_uk
Just got an email back from the team at Simon the beekeeper and they have confirmed that the inspection board does sit on top of the varroa floor and the entrance block sits on top of the wooden drawer handle??!

Re: Simon the Beekeeper Nationals

PostPosted:23 Feb 2021, 11:08
by gwt_uk
Alfred wrote:
23 Feb 2021, 10:04
But the rest of the world puts the tray under the mesh to collect a count.
Just got an email back from the team at Simon the beekeeper and they have confirmed that the inspection board does sit on top of the varroa floor and the entrance block sits on top of the wooden drawer handle??!

Re: Simon the Beekeeper Nationals

PostPosted:23 Feb 2021, 16:14
by Alfred
So by the time you've shunted the hive around to crack away the propolised entrance block and finally get at the tray, your bees are all laid back on sunloungers sipping cocktails?
Maybe not!
The front of the hive is their territory - the tradesman entrance is round the back .

Other designs may be availabe....

Re: Simon the Beekeeper Nationals

PostPosted:23 Feb 2021, 16:53
by Patrick
Back in the day before widespread adoption of OMF's, I remember it was normal practice to slide in a sheet of stiff white paper / card on top of the solid floor through the entrance to catch the mite drop after treatment. A lot of beekeepers back then didn't really think they even had varroa mites until they did such a test. They often took it as a bit of affront to find out..which seems a bit quaint now :roll: .

Re: Simon the Beekeeper Nationals

PostPosted:23 Feb 2021, 22:52
by MickBBKA
Alfred wrote:
23 Feb 2021, 16:14
So by the time you've shunted the hive around to crack away the propolised entrance block and finally get at the tray, your bees are all laid back on sunloungers sipping cocktails?
Maybe not!
The front of the hive is their territory - the tradesman entrance is round the back .

Other designs may be availabe....
All my colonies now have the varroa tray entrance at the front. I have so many colonies backed up against walls, fences or bushes its the only way for me to be able to use them. I think if your bees won't allow a look at the tray from the front you may need to change your bees.. ;)