Powder Sugar for Varroa and SHB thru SBB

[CChampion]

Here are some pictures of the 2 treatments I did on my 2 hive that I was concerned about the SHB in. I did 2 sugar treatments a few weeks apart with in my novice opion worked well for me. I have 1 hive that is a little weaker than the other and it of course had the most beetles. This was done thru a Freeman bottom board, screened. I didn't have an ant problem until just this fall as I put feeders on the hives, I have been using vasoline around the hive now to deter them, but as you see some of them died as well.
Thanks, Clark
bottom board 1 (1).jpgbottom board 1 (2).jpgbottom board 1 (3).jpgbottom board 1.jpg

[mike haney]

so you had vasoline on the bottom boards,under a screen. was the coated bottom board in place when you dumped powdered sugar in the hive?
How much sugar did you use-per box?
thanks,mike

[Intheswamp]

Hey Champ, not bad at all!!! I guess it's about time I try a powdered sugar treatment. How was your mite drop?

Cinnamon works fairly good at discouraging ants...I use it on top of the inner cover...sprinkle on and rub it around so a "smear" of it completely surrounds the hole in the innver cover. I also will sprinkle it around the two cement blocks each of my hives sit on. I get the big, no-name containers of it. It won't get them all but impresses me enough that I keep using it.

Ed

[vanderchevy18]

We always treated our bees accordingly. Apistan strips and patty mix in the spring preventatively. The "patty mix" contained Crisco, regular sugar, and teramycin. Then at signs of foul brood or a bad varroa infestation we would remove the frames with foul brood and sprinkle a mix of regular sugar and teramycin over the brood chamber. We would also take a very aggressive approach to ensuring good queen quality. At the first signs of chalk brood or scatter brood we would look for the queen and replace her. Also if the queen was getting old (shiny abdomen and tattered wings) we would replace her regardless of how she's doing. No screens, no stands, and strong hives. We would get hives with 7 deep supers come time to pull honey.

[CChampion]

Hey Mike, I'm sorry I mis-spoke. I have oil in the pan but had to use vadoline arond the bottom of the hive to stop thw ants. I am in the process of building better hive stands to keep the ants out. The oil was present at the dusting, I used about a cup or bit more per deep.

[DJS]

[QUOTE=CChampion;872922]Here are some pictures of the 2 treatments I did on my 2 hive that I was concerned about the SHB in. I did 2 sugar treatments a few weeks apart with in my novice opion worked well for me. I have 1 hive that is a little weaker than the other and it of course had the most beetles. This was done thru a Freeman bottom board, screened. I didn't have an ant problem until just this fall as I put feeders on the hives, I have been using vasoline around the hive now to deter them, but as you see some of them died as well.
Thanks, Clark

CChampion,
Do you thing the sugar treatment drove the SHB to the bottom trap?
I use Veg oil in my traps and catch that many SHB without sugar treatment.
I will try anything to get the number of SHB down in my hives. Lost one hive to them this summer it was week. My stonger hives seem to do alright, but still fing SHB in them and dont think it would take much for them to take over.
DJS

[CChampion]

DJS, I had the understanding that it created a frinzy with the SHB as they felt uneasy when the bees got worked up with the sugar dusting. As the bees got irritated it made the beetles run and they fall thru the Screen Bottom. I to have caught SHB since without dusting, although not as many because of the previous treatments in my opinion. I never had these bottom boards until November when I put them on, so I can't say 100% that it was the sugar or not because the day I put them on I treated with the sugar dusting.

[mike haney]

Thanks for your reply
I couldn't understand how vasaline would catch the beetles after the treatment as I thought the sugar would cover the vasaline and the beetles wouldn't stick.
I can see where the sugar would disolve in the oil,though.
Thanks for your report!