Mineral salts-SHB

[challenger]

Anyone try using mineral salts on the ground for SHB larva control? What is this? Sounds redundant, "mineral salts"?
thanks

[Myron Denny]

Our local mill has trace mineralised stock salt (livestock salt that has mineral added), I intend to go in there tomorrow, I can ask?

[chickenia]

I have been told by several BK's that they keep mineralized cattle salt in a dish with a little water, and put an old clean rag into it for the bees to get salt

[Myron Denny]

Our local "Guru" at Stillwater mill tells me they have stock salt and trace mineralized salt. His thoughts are if you are spreading the salt to sterilize the ground (kill the SHB) the stock salt is what he would use. The trace mineralized salt is .06% trace mineral. Salt used to make homemade Ice cream is a course salt that should be available in most areas. I dusted some "DE" on the ground last year in a location that had an ant problem, it solved the ant problem. I would check to see if Diamotacious Earth ("DE") would solve the Small Hive Beattle problem. I am told you need to keep "DE" away from the bees!

[challenger]

DE is only good until it gets wet. It is bad for all insects as far as I know. It gets into the joints of the insects and is super sharp and they die.

I will try some of the salt. If I can get granular it should pay out with the rains and make the soil not good for SHB larva.

Thanks Howard

[Myron Denny]

40 years ago I mixed a product called "fossil flour" in my dairy ration. As the cows digested this grain mix the "fossil flour" dewormed the cows and wiped out the fly larva in their manure. If I am not mistaken "fossel flour" is "DE" (Diamotacious Earth). I covered the hole in the innercover of the hive last summer that had the ant problem and put "DE" on top of the innercover, I also worked it into the grass and leaves under the hive, the ants were no longer a problem. I may have been lucky but it worked for me.