Open mesh floor - Part 2

It's time to fit the metal mesh! This mesh can be purchased ready cut to size from some of the major beekeeping supply companies, or you buy it from your local engineering materials stockist, or even DIY store. You can use galvanised steel mesh, or stainless steel wire mesh, although the former is the cheaper option. For the mesh floor you need a square piece of mesh measuring 460mm by 460mm. Lay the mesh on top of the floor base frame and check that everything lines up.

We need some strips of wood measuring 18mm x 21mm in cross section. You can cut these strips from the plywood sheet, but for convenience (and strength) I am using 18mm x 21mm planed white wood (bought from my local DIY store). Cut three lengths of 18mm x 21mm wood, two pieces 460mm long and one piece 424mm long. Drill three holes in each piece, through the 18mm wide face and screw all three pieces through the wire mesh to the floor base frame. Screw the 460mm long pieces to the sides and screw the 424mm piece along the back as shown in the following photo. Secure the wire mesh to the front cross member by means of a couple of flat headed nails (or drawing pins). This floor has been designed to take a standard entrance block, but you could make your own easily enough from a piece of 18mm x 21mm wood (or 21mm x 21mm wood if you want to be able to turn the entrance block around to block off the entrance).

Now we'll turn our attention to the rear of the open mesh floor. The floor has been designed to give access at the rear for cleaning and for inserting a tray under the floor to catch debris and varroa mites so that varroa mite infestation levels can be determined. If you wish to you can fit strips of wood (or other material) along the inside faces of the side pieces to act as runners for a removable tray. If you do this please keep the runners well below the mesh floor - if a tray is positioned too close under the mesh floor then any varroa mites that drop on to it may be able to climb back up into the brood chamber. I stand all my hives on solid concrete paving slabs and have found that I can just place a tray in under the mesh floor without the need for runners.

In any case we need removable flap to give access under the mesh floor and to keep the drafts out when in place. Cut a strip of plywood 78mm wide and cut a piece 422 mm long from this strip. This will form the rear flap. The photo below shows the floor turned upside down for ease of access.

Attach the rear flap to the back of the floor base frame using hinges as shown in the following photo. I like to use long piano type hinges that can be easily cut to the required length, but any type of small hinge would do. Also note that I have screwed four small wood bolts with washers in to the bottom of the sides of the floor base frame to act as support feet and raise the plywood frame up a few millimetres off the concrete slab base that I use. You may not need there if you use another means of support for your hives.

Finally, turn the floor up the right way and insert a screw part way in to the rear flap to act as a handle for opening the flap. And that's it - job done! All that's needed now is a coat of your favourite bee-friendly wood preservative on the external surfaces and the open mesh floor is ready for service.

The following photos show the completed open mesh floor from various angles.