Beesource Beekeeping Forums banner

I used Check mite for SHB...

39K views 45 replies 19 participants last post by  Robbin 
#1 ·
My name is Dave (hello dave!) and it really hurts me to admit this, but I recently used check mite plus.

In January almost every hive in my yard had a serious infestation of small hive beetles, and I was afraid that if I didn't do something soon it would be too late once pollen really started coming in. Plus, I was afraid that if I fed (pollen sub especially) that would aggravate the problem - I felt like my hands were tied.

So I bit the hard chemical bullet and ordered some Check mite plus. I had heard that it would knock out most SHB in as little as 2-3 days, so I reduced most hives down to one box and put in one strip for one week - the directions say 40 days or so. I marked all of the frames so that I would never extract honey from them. A week or so later (after they aired out) I checkerboarded to give them room and stores.

When I did a full inspection yesterday I saw one beetle in the entire yard - and general hive health looks pretty good.

These are just the facts, I'm not in any way advocating the use of hard chemicals (this was my first time) but in this case I judged that it was do or die - and it worked. So far. This time.
 
See less See more
#2 ·
For those of you who wondered whether David had confused varroa mites with SHB, :D this is what Brushy Mtn has to say about Check Mite Plus:

This product is labeled for both Small Hive Beetles and Varroa Mites. Unfortunately many Varroa Mites are resistant to this product so don't waste your money unless you know it will kill your mites. As with all miteacides always follow label instructions. (NOT AVAILABLE FOR ALASKA OR CALIFORNIA)

http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/Check-Mite-Plus-10-Strips/productinfo/481/
 
#3 ·
Thanks for pointing that out. Also, check mite is the only commercial treatment for SHB that I know of. And the active ingredient is Coumaphos - nasty toxic stuff - I used chemical gloves and handled it with needle nosed pliers. But it really did work.

Also, they might turn into zombies later, but no bee mortality or adverse effects have been observed so far. Nonetheless they have been exposed to what is essentially a neurotoxin. Something to be avoided if at all possible.

Hopefully I can get better at management and it will never be required again. Anyway, I'm on the wagon now. One day at a time....
 
#4 ·
If you apply Checkmite using the corrugated squares that are often sold for the purpose....there will be less contamination than hanging the strips between frames.
Just for future reference.
 
#7 ·
Beemandan

I did know that, but I hung the strips for 2 reasons - I had a really bad SHB infestation, and I really wanted to knock that down 2) My bees and mites haven't been treated with anything harder than organic acids since I started 5 seasons ago, so I speculated that I might actually get a pretty good one time mite kill as well. Since I was going nuclear anyway.
 
#10 ·
I just attended a class on SHB in Frankfort KY during the yearly bee school. Here are a few control measures I heard aboutfrom long time beekeepers in the class.

Put dense grade gravel beneath hives, it works like diamaceous earth killing the larva.e. Let it come out about a foot around the hive.

Agricultural lime will do the same.

Put 4-6 drops of wintergreen oil on a piece of cardboard or pollen patty. DON'T OVERDO IT!! The beetles will run from the hive but if you overdo it the bees will go with them.
I plan to try the wintergreen oil this year.
 
#11 ·
What will be interesting David, is to see if you are able to continue treatment free, in regards to mites, now there is comb contamination in the brood area. Might take a year or two, or three, to find out but I would certainly be interested please update in due course.
 
#15 ·
No I think my point was TREAT your hives when you have a significant threat to the hive and **** the organic sticks and twigs methods. Commercial operations are a bread and butter outfit so they have to do whatever they must to ensure a cash crop without of course endangering the public. I have been using the beetle barns from georgia bees with very good success but I will switch to checkmite for the SHB which are quite alarming to see scurrying about my hives...or at least they did until I started fighting them. All I am saying is I have seen people's hard hard work crash and burn endlessly dusting with powered sugar or even worse fogging with mineral oil to treat VD onl because they won't go with best bee practices.....

Winter is Coming
 
#16 ·
Winter is coming Bad. How are your Virginia Hives looking? Are those VSHxVirginia queens you are running? Don't be afraid of the Ghost. Monitor and act accordingly should you wish to treat. You would be amazed at the difference in Varroa tolerance when you start with something with the genes to battle it joined with your local ferrals. You really should try and enter conversations less combative. Good Luck to you. G
 
#24 ·
My hives are all strong just a few unsettling SHB scurrying about this year is all.
Winter is coming Bad. How are your Virginia Hives looking? Are those VSHxVirginia queens you are running? Don't be afraid of the Ghost. Monitor and act accordingly should you wish to My hivesSPD7915treat. You would be amazed at the difference in Varroa tolerance when you start with something with the genes to battle it joined with your local ferrals. You really should try and enter conversations less combative. Good Luck to you. G
 
#17 ·
Kind of agree with your sentiments Beebad and I do use chemicals in my hives, but coumaphos IS one of the nasty ones I would do anything rather than use that one.

No problem with David he did what it took to save his bees. But the problem with coumaphos is longer term, down the track it can affect the fertility of any new queens the bees may raise, and the fertility of drones.

There is talk of making coumaphos a legal bee remedy in my own country, I am completely opposed.
 
#20 ·
In retrospect I may have over reacted at the time, although the infestation level was pretty severe for the time of year - everyone complained about it that year.

And even if I didn't over react the reason that the hive beetles were so strong in my yard to begin with was mostly that I didn't take proper care of my bees in July and August. My sorry excuse is that I had a construction project with a rushed schedule going at the time. Nonetheless nutrition and mite treatments were neglected during the stressful (because of heat, dearth, and robbing that year) late summer pre-buildup period. So, bad beekeeping all around.

Nonetheless I probably would not use the checkmite now - instead I would do everything possible to keep the bees healthy, well fed and relatively mite free.
 
#19 ·
I would like to see numbers to back up the inferences of Beebad. I have nothing against anyone treating, but when someone comes along in their second year spitting vitriol I think its time for a checkup.

Did you try and go maintenance free with a couple of packages from Georgia Beebad? Anybody that did an ounce of research would have known better than to try that.;) G
 
#21 ·
Well we sometimes face choices where there are no excellent options. In this case you have chosen to use checkmite, rather than lose all your bees and have slimed, disgusting equipment.

Whatever problems may have led to this point you have ended up with hives full of living, productive bees, albeit with a coumaphos residue. But you probably feel better than if you had let everything get turned to slime, hard choice, but you probably made the best one.
 
#30 ·
If it isn't the bee formulation, it isn't checkmite+.

The label for checkmite specifies:
Do not leave the strips in hive for more than 45 days. Do not treat more than four times per year for the small hive beetle. Do not replace honey supers any sooner than 14 days after the strips are removed.
I dont intend to accuse anyone of anything....but when I read the recent posts in this thread, I get the feeling that traps are used in ways that clearly violate the label in more ways than one.

Coumaphos is nasty stuff, and should not be being used in self regulated home brew applications.
 
#31 · (Edited)
Oldtimer....I believe I saw a fipronil baited shb trap that was approved for use in Australia. I know...you're in New Zealand but still a lot closer than those of us in the states. Have you heard anything about it?
PS...I think it is approved for use with honey supers ON.
 
#33 ·
Here it is:
Apithor Hive Beetle Harbourage
https://www.apithor.com.au/how_to_use_apithor.html
“The benefit of the trap is that it is inexpensive, easy to install, is lethal to the SHB and is safe for beekeepers and bees. Extensive testing also shows that the honey is unaffected.”
 
#35 · (Edited)
Thanks for the info Beemandan. First I've heard of it though.

Deknow the product you reference in post #34 is not coumaphos. All the same I wouldn't want fiprinol in my hives either, I thought there would have been a safer alternative.

Fiprinol is an ideal poison for community living insects such as bees ants and wasps as it is non repellent and slow to kill, so it is easily passed around between the community. When varroa first arrived in my country and an initial response was being worked out, one proposal was to kill all bees in the affected area, and kill the ferals via poison bait. The poison of choice was fiprinol. The plan was never enacted because it was soon discovered varroa was way more widely spread than realised and beyond the point that extermination could be possible.

Fiprinol also has a very long 1/2 life, so I'm surprised the trap manufacturers chose this particular poison, maybe it's also very effective on beetles.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top