Open mesh floor

[farmerboy5470]

looking at making some open mesh floors, is there a recommended size the hole where the mesh goes should be?

also can anyone recommend where the best place to buy the mesh is?

[drumgerry]

Just make the entire floor out of mesh and build a frame around it to give it structure. If you have a floor to copy all the better.

Where to buy? Well it begins with E......!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Beekeeping-varroa-mesh-for-NATIONAL-bee-hives-from-2-per-sheet-/140947767522?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Bee_Keeping&var=&hash=item20d12440e2

[drumgerry]

If you're struggling to envisage how to make one I can post a pic tomorrow of one of my own home made floors using the mesh in that ebay link.

[farmerboy5470]

Yeah that would be ideal thanks.

Do you have some way of putting a tray in underneath
for doing mite counts?...your pics might show this but
Thought I'd ask :)

[drumgerry]

It's simple enough to attach upside down frame runners or bits of wood/ply to the side walls underneath the mesh to take a ply or correx sheet for varroa monitoring. Not claiming any credit for any of this btw - just copied a Thornes varroa floor! Pics will make all clear hopefully. Just need to go rummaging tomorrow in my stacks of unused kit.

[Mellifera Crofter]

... Where to buy? Well it begins with E......!

You can also look here (http://www.themeshcompany.com/products/Top-Bar-Hives.html).

Kitta

[drumgerry]

Really sorry but the floor I was going to show you is in use at an out apiary - I had forgotten that! But it's a straight copy of the Thornes OMF so if you have one of those....

[fatshark]

I've got a mix of mesh types and would like to check which are stainless steel and which aren't … any clue how to do this? The black epoxy coated stuff is obvious. The galvanised mesh (http://www.thorne.co.uk/health-and-feeding/mesh-and-varroa-floors?product_id=383) sold by Thorne's is also obvious. However, I've got some that looks like the stainless stuff linked in the email from Kitta but I'm sure I'm sure I didn't pay stainless steel prices.

[nemphlar]

I have all 3, the epoxy coating seems a reasonable cheap option, the galvanised mesh can't take the varroa chemicals and has lost the zinc coating in a year and will need to be replaced. Stainless is still ludicrously expensive

[fatshark]

If you get SS in bulk from the company Kitta linked to above it becomes slightly less eyewateringly expensive. I'm thinking of splitting the costs with friends.