Anyone using a beetlejail?

**mmmooretx** · 09-13-2012, 05:41 PM

I just ordered one to check it out, beetlejail.com. I bought their 10 frame Lang. adapter to mount it to one of my Country Rubes SBB

I am curious if anyone has been using them and what they think of their effectiveness.

Thanks in advance for your time.

Product link:

http://beetlejail.com/store/index.ph...&product_id=55

YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egLroAZ_Qn0

**Mrobisr** · 09-14-2012, 09:36 AM

I use the beetlejail jr. and they always have beetles in them and I don't see beetles running around, so I will have to guess they work. I even had one run dry and it had trapped a live beetle.

**mmmooretx** · 09-14-2012, 10:02 AM

I have not had a lot of luck with the Jr., plus messy. I think the most I have ever gotten in one is 8 and I have more that I have squashed going in to the hive. I have not tried DE in them that I have heard of people using, but may try mixing honey with the oil to see how that works. I have tried both veggie oil and mineral oil, with and without vinegar (in the middle chamber). I have three and may put them back in this Sat. to try and get better control. I also put in between first and second frame.
Thanks for the response.

**Mrobisr** · 09-17-2012, 11:51 PM

Mike,
I don't think I have a really big problem with shb as I have my hives on hard red clay. I have soybean oil in them and it catches a few, but I also keep the ground completely bare in and around the hives. I depend on the hives keeping the shb's at bay and the traps doing the rest. I have my traps on the outside frames and on the back side for what it's worth.

Mark
8a

**mmmooretx** · 09-18-2012, 05:55 AM

OK, I put my Jr. traps back in on Sunday using mineral oil with some honey, about 1Tbsp. to 4 oz. I put in a restaurant squeeze bottle to fill at the hive, after shaking which worked pretty well. I put them in between 1 & 2 frames at the rear of the frame. I will check again this coming Sunday. My beetle trap will arrive on Thursday and I am going over their installation instructions they sent. I may have to fabricate some parts as the Country Rubes SBB I am going to install it on does not quite match their standard base. Pretty simple just extend the 3/4" rails the deep sits on to the front edge of the CR landing board. I also got their internal SHB trap that holds drone foundation, but that will not arrive until Monday and will go into another hive. I am going to hold off on the Gold Star for a while longer hoping that the nematodes and traps keep it under control. I hope that the instructions do not want me to put the plastic varroa count board in as that will end my ventilation and varroa fall through. At this point I do not know if the SHB are using the screen bottom as an entrance or just flying in the regular entrance, newbee problem.

**thenance007** · 09-18-2012, 02:52 PM

Big difference between Beetle Jail and Beetle Jail Jr. I've been using Beetle Jails for 2 years on my 2 hives and have seen maybe a total of 6-8 SHBs. This year, only 2. I had one nuc last year without a Beetle Jail and consistently found SHBs in it. So I'm a big believer. Initial cost is a bit high, but much cheaper than losing to SHBs. And I use screened bottom boards, which apparently don't reduce their effectiveness although it would seem likely that they might. I have a young orchard in my back yard that I understand is a big attraction for SHBs, which is why I originally went to the extra expense.

**Sadler91** · 09-29-2012, 08:58 PM

Better Beetle Blaster > All

I don't normally struggle with beetles but, I have used the Bettle Blaster in the past in the wet, humid months of Florida and they are outstanding. Put some canola oil and a little bit of crushed pears in juice. Youll tear them up

**mmmooretx** · 10-08-2012, 05:58 AM

Just as an update I am going to remove the entrance BeetleJail I installed as my bees don't like it. I have a ball of about 5-8 lbs. of bees hanging on the bottom of my SBB which tells me they have not adapted to the modified entrance. I have ordered some of the full length mouse guards that are stainless steel instead (10 frame). I tried to coax them into the entrance, a few went in, but mostly just buzzed about and went back to the bottom side of the hive. The construction of the entrance is good, I like the idea, but the bees did not.

**DaveMorris** · 04-28-2013, 07:19 AM

Originally Posted by mmmooretx

Just as an update I am going to remove the entrance BeetleJail I installed as my bees don't like it. I have a ball of about 5-8 lbs. of bees hanging on the bottom of my SBB which tells me they have not adapted to the modified entrance. I have ordered some of the full length mouse guards that are stainless steel instead (10 frame). I tried to coax them into the entrance, a few went in, but mostly just buzzed about and went back to the bottom side of the hive. The construction of the entrance is good, I like the idea, but the bees did not.

Thanks for that update! I was wondering how you could mate up the BeetleJail front entrance device to a Country Rubes bottom board, since they already have a large landing board on the front of that bottom board. You would have to not only extend the side rails, but then also build a little roof or else the beetles would just bypass the jail entrance and come in on the preexisting Country Rubes landing board, no?