Varroa Mite treatment and control

The slide rails on the underside of HiveIQ beehives accept varroa mite sticky boards, a useful feature for beekeepers who want to monitor and control varroa mite infestations in their colonies.  Varroa mites are a major pest of honeybee colonies, and monitoring for their presence and levels of infestation is an important part of effective beekeeping. Sticky boards, also known as sticky traps or sticky screens, are a common tool used to monitor varroa mite populations in beehives.

These boards slide easily into the the slide rails underneath the HiveIQ hive, where they trap mites that fall off the bees as they move around the hive. The use of slide rails to hold sticky boards is important because it allows beekeepers to easily remove and replace the boards for monitoring purposes. Without slide rails, it would be difficult to position the sticky boards correctly, and they could potentially slide out of place and become less effective in trapping mites

Ventilation control

Slide rails can also be helpful in allowing for better ventilation management of the hive. By sliding the boards out of place, beekeepers can increase airflow through the bottom of the hive, which can help to regulate temperature and humidity levels, prevent overheating and the buildup of moisture and condensation. It is important not to completely block the ventilation in the HiveIQ bee hive, even in extremely cold winters. HiveIQ recommends a reduction in the hive base ventilation for very week colonies only. Honeybee colonies require clean air to enable them to maintain good air quality and prevent CO2 building up in the beehive.

Integration of beehive accessories

HiveIQ has and is continuing to develop useful beehive accessories some of which utilize the slide rails on the underside of the hive base. For example, the HiveIQ stainless steel pollen collection tray slides into the slide rails enabling fast and easy harvesting of pollen by the beekeeper.