I am getting ready to replace the screened bottom board with a solid one. Last year I followed advice from Arlen at Dadant and I left the screened bottom board on through the coldest winter we've had in many years. The girls lived so if I use the solid board and lose my only surviving hive I'm gonna be kicking myself in the pants!
Noticed we've visited many of the same places in the Pacific. LOL PI, never made it there while on Oki, but the stories I heard......damn! All my bud's that tdy'd there talked about the same club, Fire Empire.