do you use a Solid floor or OMF ?

I'm aware of the benefits of an OMF, and as a new beekeeper, which only has experience of using OMF - because possibly it's the "norm" today with minimizing varroa.

But when I first became interested in beekeeping, and started my "mentorship" beekeepers in my area, the norm was to use solid floors, and I seem to remember that early 2000s, beekeepers discussed, varroa was just across the Humber in Lincolnshire (I relocated from Devon to Yorkshire late 90s!).

I'm sure there are beekeepers on this forum, which started off keeping on solid floors, which have migrated maybe to OMF now.

The question, and getting to it, some local beekeepers in my area, still use solid floors, and do not treat for varroa, and do not monitor, and state they do not have any issues, or varroa problems, I'm not sure how they know, if they do not monitor, unless they see no deformed wings, and assume there are no varroa!

anyway this year, I tried a little experiment, not very scientific, but I took four colonies from prime swarms, okay so different genetics, different queens, brood and possible sizes etc

I put two colonies on solid floors, and two colonies on OMF, in the same apiary. (nationals!).

Colonies on solid floors are now strong, larger, filled five supers, as opposed to the OMF which managed three supers, what I also noticed, was both colonies on solid floors, built wild brood comb done to the solid floor, off all 11 frames, this may explain the excessive number of bees in the solid floor colonies.

No wild comb was built in the OMF colonies.

Just an observation, not very scientific, maybe I got it wrong....because I use boards on top with no holes on all hives (omf and solid), so maybe the solid floor colonies were warmer at the bottom, aiding this expansion.

anyway a discussion point, shot me down in flames if you want....

einsteinagogo said:

I'm aware of the benefits of an OMF, and as a new beekeeper, which only has experience of using OMF - because possibly it's the "norm" today with minimizing varroa.
I'm sure there are beekeepers on this forum, which started off keeping on solid floors, which have migrated maybe to OMF now.

I put two colonies on solid floors, and two colonies on OMF, in the same apiary. (nationals!).

Colonies on solid floors are now strong, larger, filled five supers, as opposed to the OMF which managed three supers, what I also noticed, was both colonies on solid floors, built wild brood comb done to the solid floor, off all 11 frames, this may explain the excessive number of bees in the solid floor colonies.
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The thing to do next year is to do a cross-over trial: using the same 4 colonies swap the omf floors to the hives that had solid floors and v.v. and let us know the result

Andy when you make your next bottom board up, only use 9mm edging strip around the board, I made the same mistake when I put solid floor under my hives ,edging strips made up as 20mm to take entrance block the gap below frames only wants to be around 9mm that stops brace comb

yeogi75 said:

Andy when you make your next bottom board up, only use 9mm edging strip around the board, I made the same mistake when I put solid floor under my hives ,edging strips made up as 20mm to take entrance block the gap below frames only wants to be around 9mm that stops brace comb

Click to expand...

@yeogi75 Thanks for this tip, I'll check and measure them, but I didn't make them, they were obtained commercially, although old solid floors from T*! Approx 25 years old!

make your own and stick to the bee space they would not build on the bottom of the omf because of temperature at the bottom keeps the bees up off the floor

OMF every time, however A colony struggling will benefit from a varroa inspection board inserted for a while

I have both and use according to need. I would use a solid floor temporarily for a smaller colony, dummied down. Also for newly hived swarms until established. Otherwise I use OMF.
That's what works for me.

I also have a mix of omf and solid floors and have had mixed results. the ones on solid in 14x12 have excelled compared to omf but the opposite with the few standard nationals I have.