Attached photo shows beetles that ensnared in a trap that sits on top of the honey frames. A quick estimate is that there is somewhere around 700 dead beetles in the trap.
Tell us how to set that up Please! Looks like polyester fiber over a queen excluder with some foam core board spacers - but it looks to me like you've hit on something that works whatever it is.
Isn't that a layer of those cloths that are available for household use in Australia? (chux, or something like that?) I've heard good things, and clearly they work.
The felt look's a lot like the handy wipes we use to get for kitchen cleaning? :scratch:
I will be at WalMart tomorrow so I am going to be looking to see what I can find.
Jim
Just looked on WalMart's sight and Yes they have Handi Wipes and they look just like the photo of the one in the link in crsswift70's post.:thumbsup:
Attaching more photos of the material. It is a type of table protector with thin vinyl/plastic on one side and a polyester weave on the underside which entangles the beetles. It is not a Chux.
The hive was heavily infested and I placed it under the lid on top of the honey super frames with the polyester side uppermost. From memory I bought it from a Spotlight store here in Australia, sometime ago, and you can Google them to see the type of stock a business like this carries.
I know that some of you need trauma counselling when you see just a couple of beetles in your hives but this hive was teeming with the little blighters and the hive was, in my view, teetering on the edge of a SHB takeover. The trap was on the hive for about 4 weeks.
Thank you for posting this! I've been squashing them in the sun, vacuuming them and trapping them in those precarious top bar oil traps (which do work if you use enough of 'em). I so can't wait to try this. While not traumatized at the site of these buggers, I do take extreme joy in seeing them trapped and killed, I must admit.
Apparently the felt backing doesn't cause any problem for the bees themselves, or is separating the felt from the bees a requirement?
Tom, I did not separate it from the bees. The largest catch was around the edges where the bees had teased the polyester out more. The method is so simple, inexpensive, non-time consuming, without oils and those chemicals that affect the bees on so many levels.
Have a different type of material and arrangement also being trialled. Will keep you posted.
So no bees killed at all? I found what I think is the same thing - polyester fiber backed vinyl tablecloth $5 at wall mart. Big enough to make about 12. Putting some on today.
Great Post!!! I love that it is non chemical and seems to be just about no maintenance. Awesome!!!!
The bees will like this. Thank You for sharing!!!!!
Hi David,
I got some vinyl tablecloth with a backing but it looks like way too tight a weave to catch beetles. Nothing like the picture. Did you or anybody else here find a suitable material and caught a beetle in it. I'm dying to try it.
thanks
The one I am trying is from Wal-Mart "Mainstays" vinyl tablecloth - they have it with and without the polyester back, the package of the backed one (that you want) is fluffier looking. The poly backing is kind of thin, but it seems to work - but it does catch some bees. You don't want the queen to get caught too so putting it above an excluder is probably a good idea. So far I have only looked down through the 2 3/4" feeder holes to see what is going on with it so I'm only seeing a little spot. Putting it below a screened bottom board - just laying on top of the mite count board - might be a good way to go. More experimentation is certainly called for.
Just applied crawling SHB onto the Wal-Mart Mainstays vinyl tablecloth and it does not work. It slows them down a little, but not much. I think the polyester has to be very hairy-like. I'm headed to my local Hancock's for some.
It might work better once the bees tease it up a bit, but something that works right out of the box would be a lot better. A simple way to deploy it by which no bees get caught is also needed. But, this is a good direction to experiment.
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