nematodes and SHB

[beemandan]

At Saturday’s Ga Beekeeper’s meeting I heard a couple of interesting presentations on using nematodes to control SHB. Dr Jamie Ellis (UGA) and Louis Tedders (Southeastern Insectries) have been working to find a suitable nematode that would parasitize SHB larvae and pupae in the soil. They found a couple of varieties that effectively kill about 85%. Mr Tedders has come up with a delivery method and believes that the price to treat can be low. Additional testing needs to be conducted to determine the number and frequency of treatments required to maintain acceptable control. Mr Tedders has had difficulty getting the state to help fund this part of the research and is considering selling his ‘technology’, rather than continuing the development. It certainly looks promising

[pgg]

I've used nematodes to control japanese beetles and they were very effective.

[beemandan]

Fred Rossman had one of the new SHB traps on display. It is an opague, plastic container that he had attached to an empty frame. I may order a few and mount them in hive top feeders...where the bees in my hives often sequester them.
Here is a copy of the promo sheet that Fred had. Sorry about the print quality, but the original wasn't any better.

http://www.boogerhillbee.com/temp%20028.jpg

[Sherpa1]

I read in the study of these new traps that if they put apple cider in the traps that it would attract the beetles, but that the cider would not kill the beetles. If they put oil in the traps it would kill the beetles but would not attract the beetles. Where does that leave us? Put oil in the traps and hope the bees chase the beetles into the traps?

[GaSteve]

I have heard that you use both cider vinegar and oil so it will attract them and kill them. The beetles look for places to hide where the bees can't reach them -- like this trap. In addition, the traps are put on one of the outside frames again because that seems to be where SHB hang out.

I have never tried it, but I have heard good things about it.

[ February 05, 2006, 07:07 PM: Message edited by: GaSteve ]