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Anti Varroa bottom board HAPPYKEEPER bottom board is the board we install and forget about

HAPPYKEEPER

Pollen trap HAPPYKEEPER pollen trap  accommodates the harvesting of pristine pollen

HAPPYKEEPER tubes bottom board presentation - Jean-Pierre LE PABIC

History of the tubes bottom board
The TUBES BOTTOM BOARD was invented in 1993 by Marcel Legris, a beekeeper from Marseille (south of France). At that time, it was discovered that numerous feral bee colonies survived without any anti-Varroa treatment, and it was believed that the reason was that a certain amount of Varroa mites fell out of the cluster to disappear under the colony in places unvisited by the bees. The tubes bottom board was created to reproduce these conditions.

The Legris design was made with rigid tubes fitted into holes inside the wood on each side. The tubes were expensive and manufacturing was complicated. The lack of profitability quickly caused Mr. Legris to abandon this business. Having bought some of these boards, I personally made careful observations particularly on Varroa mites infestation, strength of the colonies in spring and honey production. My discoveries motivated me to research a more economical design for the board.

This was accomplished in 2002 when I rolled out the new tubes bottom board under the “HAPPYKEEPER” brand name. The tubes were no longer fitted into holes inside the wood but instead held by three struts punched from plastic sheets. It then was possible to use more cost effective polyethylene tubes on which nothing would stick. The tubes are not rigid or perfect, so a strut must be placed in the middle to keep them parallel. After four years, a recent development has compelled me to replace the punched struts with molded struts on the Dadant 10f/Langstroth models. The overall quality of the board is greatly improved.

Advantages of the tubes bottom board
Beekeepers observations:

1. Many beekeepers no longer treat, in my case since April 1997. On the other hand, beekeepers who have not dared to stop treatments are not encouraged to do so because their infestation rates do not decrease substantially.

2. In my personal apiary, infestation rates are around 2 to 3% in spring after a few years without any treatment.

3. Some beekeepers have reported observing a significant rise in Varroa mite falls immediately after exchanging a mesh board for a tubes board in autumn. The figure of 20 mites per hour was even reported on an extremely infested colony.

4. Early development of colonies in spring equips bees to produce honey one month sooner in some locations.

5. The tubes board is clean in spring and does not need to be cleaned every year. If this is not the case, the colony is generally queenless.

6. Colonies have well withstood extremely low temperatures (-15 °C) in the French mountains for weeks.

Analysis
In the beginning, the tubes bottom board was designed to simulate the conditions found in feral colonies surviving without any anti-Varroa treatment in highly infested environments.

The empirical knowledge led to my conclusion that the reason for its efficiency was not that Varroa mites were not recycled through contact with bees as is apparently the case in traditional hives:

1. A study carried out in the southeast of France showed that mesh boards were not better than full boards to combat Varroa mites, as would be the case if the initial hypothesis was correct.

2. Several beekeepers have seen that Varroa mite falls dramatically increase quickly when they replaced a mesh board with a tubes board in autumn.

3. Development of colonies in spring is stronger.

4. Varroa mite falls considerably increase after September

The first point would show that the initial hypothesis was not correct. The second point would show that something changed very quickly inside the hive after replacement of the boards. The only thing that changes that rapidly is ventilation inside the hive. To control the atmosphere inside a room, the opening must not be too small (like a full board) otherwise it is impossible to renew the air effectively. The opening must not be too large either (like a mesh bottom board), otherwise it is not possible to control the volume of external air entering the hive. The openings in a tubes bottom board are the optimum size and are strategically situated to enable ventilating bees to create the atmosphere perfectly suited for them. Which keeps bees strong enough to combat Varroa mites and more inclined to raise brood in spring.

Questions
Why do feral colonies remain healthy in highly infested environments ?
The reason could be: when a swarm begins occupying a hole in a tree, bees would build the combs conforming to the existing openings, in order to be able to control the atmosphere around brood. It is easy to imagine that the tubes board works in much the same way.

Why do Varroa mite falls increase after September ?
Several reasons could be considered: diminution of brood; lower temperature, especially at night; birth of first wintering bees.

Why do treated colonies not have low infestation rates ?
Most chemicals used to combat Varroa mites are also poisonous to bees but the dose is sub-lethal for them. When infestation rates are high, the Mid Atlantic Apiculture Research and Extension Consortium advises against using products such as fluvalinate, coumaphos or amitraze and even oxalic acid as a preventative against Colony Collapse Disorder. They could therefore also weaken the bees and make them unable to effectively combat Varroa mites, even when using tubes boards.

Further studies are needed to answer all these questions.

The HAPPYKEEPER bottom board takes the place of your usual hive floor

It consists of a wooden frame,

several tubes and three struts ,

the tubes are held together by the struts.

The gaps between the tubes are 3.5 mm; bees cannot pass through them.

The illustrated hive is fitted with alternate frames only, enabling us to see how each tube is located exactly underneath a brood frame.

Hive waste as well as Varroa mites fall through the funnel shaped openings and can be examined under the hive.

 The HAPPYKEEPER bottom board always remains clean and needs no intervention over several years.

The hive should be set about 20 cm above  the ground.

The gaps between the tubes provide for an efficient circulation of air within the hive.

The bees can expel used air and replace it with fresh air through their fitted floor. The interior atmosphere is thus made optimal for the health and growth of the colony in every season of the year. In the French Mountains, colonies have easily withstood long periods of cold below -10 C.

Some beekeepers have noticed a considerable increase in Varroa mite drop immediately after replacement of an open mesh bottom board with a Happykeeper bottom board. The strictly controlled atmosphere around the cluster makes the bees stronger, healthier, more productive and so better able to get rid of varroa mites. If an infestation rate of 5% or less is found in the Spring, no treatment whatever is needed.

At a height of about 8 mm, the entrance needs no  further widening in Spring. Robbing is thus practically eliminated in Summer

A bottom board that is permanently clean, keeping bees fully healthy, and requiring little or no anti-varroa treatment, with low risk of robbing: all these advantages give clear evidence that the HAPPYKEEPER bottom board is "the board we install and forget".

Pollen Trap

HAPPYKEEPER pollen trap accommodates  the harvesting of pristine pollen.	Hive waste is eliminated through the openings between the tubes and cannot mix with the pollen  in the basket. Bigger waste like dead bees is evacuated through the drones holes.
The pollen basket is easily locked with the hole in the angle bracket. Notice the small cylinder to operate the pollen comb.	The 7 mm high opening prevents mice and other  small animals from entering.
This picture without the small wooden panel above shows the uncomplicated design of the trap. Maintenance is then particularly easy. The pollen comb can be operated from outside to become horizontal  and allow free pasage to the bees and vice-versa.	The pollen trap seen from below: on the right, shows the groove to eliminate rain water which prevents loss of the pollen harvest. Angle brackets make very easy hanging and removal of the basket. Openings between the tubes allow for  the passage of even the bigger pollen pellets.

Download: Trial Report on the Happykeeper Bottom Board January 2006 to June 2007 ( PDF file 397 Mo)
Toulouse-Auzeville 2005 trial report  ( PDF file 1,228 Mo)
See also the articles in:
The Beekeeper's quarterly - November 2003
Bee Culture Magazine - December 2005

Available from

HAPPYKEEPER 20, avenue des Acacias F-92500 RUEIL-MALMAISON - FRANCE Tel.: +33 (0)1 47 14 10 52 Email: j-p.lepabic@aist.enst.fr Internet: www.apiculture.com/happykeeper/

UK Suppliers: E H Thorne Beehives Ltd LN8 5LAWragby - Lincoln - UK Phone: 44 1673 858555 USA Suppliers: James Vermeer 13138 S New Era Rd, Oregon City, OR 97045 Phone: (503) 226-6000; Fax: (503) 657-6153 Toll free : 866-933-6006 Email: jim@happykeeperusa.com Internet: www.happykeeperusa.com We are looking for distributors in other countries.

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