Screened bottom boards

Screened bottom boards are used as a preventative measure against small hive beetles (SHB). These bottom boards have a mesh screen that allows SHB larvae, which often pupate in the hive debris, to fall out of the hive and away from the colony. This disrupts the SHB life cycle and reduces beetle populations within the hive. Screened bottom boards also improve hive ventilation, which can further discourage SHB. They are a commercial hive component and relatively easy to install. Screened bottom boards are most effective when combined with other SHB management techniques. A screened bottom board replaces the standard solid bottom board of a hive.