Hive beetles--any advise appreciated
I find myself in a bit of a pickle with regard to a recent infestation of SHB. They have overcome five colonies already this year and I am beginning to run out of ideas.
First of all, I live on an island in South Carolina where the first SHB infestation was recorded and they seem to love the place.
I am using screened bottom boards, treating the ground with DE, and inserting AJ's Beetle Eaters. None of those things has even put a dent in the problem and I am now looking to a more drastic response. I have never used chemicals in my operation, but am looking for some insight as to what others would do in an emergency situation.
Re: Hive beetles--any advise appreciated
get you some beetle barns from rossmans and put combat roach jell in them it did the trick for me good luck
Re: Hive beetles--any advise appreciated
Put your hives in full sun.
Re: Hive beetles--any advise appreciated
SHB were a bad problem for me last year and the year before. Last year I killed hundreds with the hive tool, but didn't lose any hives. This year about March I saw 3-10 beetles in several hives. After installing the traps I've only seen 2 or 3 living SHB total in about 35 hives.
These are all things that I did that may have helped:
1. Put all hives in full sun.
2. Put beetle barns with roach bait in each hive. I bought these from John Pluta. I removed these recently so maybe the beetles will come back.
3. Put the hive stands on top of weed-block (solid black plastic weave that lets water through). Mainly this was to help keep the hives clear of weeds and easier to work, but I suspect (no real evidence) that this also helps with the SHB.
Re: Hive beetles--any advise appreciated
I think that I read on this site about the beetles and someone was using a plexgalss top on his hive they said beetles didn't like the light the top was not clear .
Re: Hive beetles--any advise appreciated
Yes,
Theres a guy in florida, using a white opaque plexi top to let light in. He says leaving it on a week clears the beetles out of his hives. He had a letter in the American bee journal, & bee culture magazine.
Might be worth trying, when numbers get high.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
pom51
I think that I read on this site about the beetles and someone was using a plexgalss top on his hive they said beetles didn't like the light the top was not clear .
Re: Hive beetles--any advise appreciated
Quote:
Originally Posted by
KQ6AR
Yes,
Theres a guy in florida, using a white opaque plexi top to let light in. He says leaving it on a week clears the beetles out of his hives. He had a letter in the American bee journal, & bee culture magazine.
Might be worth trying, when numbers get high.
I look forward to trying this myself. But what I do is grab some of those political signs, (cortex) cut into squares ~2"X2", pack a little crisco on one open side, then fill from the other open side with boric acid. then cap off that open side with crisco. This is a fatbeeman meathod I learned from a local guy. the beetles are attracted to the crisco, and dig in... into the acid. I use as was reccomended to me.. 2 per hive body in opposite corners on top of the frames, works well. chemistrystore.com has the boric acid pretty cheap.
Re: Hive beetles--any advise appreciated
try a mixture of 1oz wintergreen Essential Oil to 16 oz of vegetable oil. mix well and soak a cardboard coaster in it. one 3" coaster per broad box. the wintergreen oil drives the small hive beetles out and will also kill mites. I use this and it has almost eliminated the small hive beetles from my hives. Now i see maybe one or two per hive. Last year it seemed i raised more beetles than bees.
Re: Hive beetles--any advise appreciated
Can you tell me where in the brood box you are placing the coaster?
thanks you!
Re: Hive beetles--any advise appreciated
i place the coaster in the center on top of the frames. for a 5 frame nuc use only half of a coaster.
Re: Hive beetles--any advise appreciated
Re: Hive beetles--any advise appreciated
Quote:
Originally Posted by
drupe
try a mixture of 1oz wintergreen Essential Oil to 16 oz of vegetable oil. mix well and soak a cardboard coaster in it. one 3" coaster per broad box. the wintergreen oil drives the small hive beetles out and will also kill mites. I use this and it has almost eliminated the small hive beetles from my hives. Now i see maybe one or two per hive. Last year it seemed i raised more beetles than bees.
I'd like comments from anyone that has tryed this...please
