[USCBeeMan]

I mentor for an ederly man. We opened his 2 hives. The double deep he purchased during the winter was completely infested with SHBs. The other which he had since last year from a swarm also had a fair amount of SHBs.

Opened up to of my hives yesterday. Both had a large amount of SHBs so I am sure the other 5 at home and the other 7 at 2 other apiaries are probably the same way.

I can't seem to get them under control. I am thinking about using some CheckMite III. I can't afford to buy a bunch of bottom board traps. I have some AJ's but while they work, they really don't seem to control these sorry bugs.

 

[devdog108]

SHB have to pupate in the ground if i am not mistaken. If thats really the case, and i understand that it is, go to top entrances only, the larvae cannot get out in that case. Some suggest guardstar on the ground. Little buggers found my new hive within a week or so. They ahve been able to handle then thus far because they are strong, but i am going to go top entrances anyway just to ensure.

 

[StevenG]

As I understand it, they can fly up to 5 miles at a time... so a top entrance won't keep them out.

I'm trying the cd traps now... will use several per hive, depending upon severity of infestation. One on bottom board, one or two on top of brood nest. Good luck to you!

 

[devdog108]

I agree Steven, but its the pupation of the shb that could help keep them in check IMHO. Same Principle as breaking the brood cycle with mites.....stop the babies, give the bees a chance to recover.

 

[Wyldbee]

I can't seem to get them under control. I am thinking about using some CheckMite III. I can't afford to buy a bunch of bottom board traps. I have some AJ's but while they work, they really don't seem to control these sorry bugs.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_KDPp8H6PU I came across this recently. Maybe it can help your situation?

I am new to this and have been looking at a lot of info. I personally want my hives to be treatment free and am going to try that route.

 

[Buffalolick]

I've had good luck with the Hood trap..caught 100's of the devils. Apple cider vinegar in middle, oil on outer wells. I put it in bottom deep hive body in # 10 spot, or #1 if you are looking at it backwards lol. The only thing I don't like about Hood trap is giving up a frame and having to completly open hive to inspect (ok that's 2 things). My hive that is in full sun has much less trouble with shb than the one in part shade. In future I am going to go full sun if at all possible.

 

[devdog108]

I also read where someone put black plastic below the hives too. During the spring summer, the plastic will get so hot it will basically fry the pupae as the crawl across. Just another idea.

 

[bigevilgrape]

A podcast I was listening to suggested diatomaceous earth. It kills them when the dig into the earth for whatever part of their life cycle involves that. You do need to use it for a fairly large radius around the hive for it to be effectve. I have no personal experience to back that up.

 

[beemandan]

Get your hives out of the shade!
It makes a world of difference.

 

[Hambone]

Get your hives out of the shade!
It makes a world of difference.

What he said.

Plus keep them crowded not overly but don't have a lot of extra room. Are you using inner covers? I ditched mine for the most part and went to Migratory tops only, on a recommendation and along with the other 2 things have really cut down on my shb's.

 

[USCBeeMan]

Using inner covers. I have 3 or 4 hood traps but they didn't do much either.

These SHBs were probably in the hive with the clusters all winter. All of my deadouts had a lot of dead SHBs in the dead clusters. At least a lot of SHBs died when my hives died.

Spray painted some CDs today and drilled some holes in them. What are most people using for bait and killer. Seems like I remember people using Boric Acid or another powder. Is it mixed with crisco and put in the CDs?

 

[Wyldbee]

Using inner covers. I have 3 or 4 hood traps but they didn't do much either.

These SHBs were probably in the hive with the clusters all winter. All of my deadouts had a lot of dead SHBs in the dead clusters. At least a lot of SHBs died when my hives died.

Spray painted some CDs today and drilled some holes in them. What are most people using for bait and killer. Seems like I remember people using Boric Acid or another powder. Is it mixed with crisco and put in the CDs?

The link I sent you showed the "Fatbeeman" using political signs. He spread Crisco on one end then turned them on the other side ,poured in boric acid then sealed that side with the shortening. He then stapled the homemade trap to the bottom tray securely. It seemed very simple.

Would this be a safe way to handle SHB's? I do not know?

 

[Ski]

I have not tried the the "Fatbeeman" using political signs. I have heard that it works for some folks but yes it is safe.

During the North Carolina State Bee meeting March 5,6 Dr. Lilia I. de Guzman of the USDA/ARS Baton Rouge, LA presented information on SHB and how using an entrance reducer cut down on the infestion of small hive beetle. The entrance reducer was left on all year and it did reduce the amount of small hive beetles found in the hives and as a side note the reducer did not reduce the amount of brood or the amount of honey. Solid bottom boards were used for the study.
I am considering using reducers all year or maybe robber screens all year although I will be using screened bottom boards, so the amount of small hive beetles may not be reduced by much.
Ski

 

[beemandan]

There was a video posted some time ago by John Pluta from Milledgeville, GA. He was using those beetle barns and 'baiting' them with Maxiforce roach bait. He opened several and they were loaded with dead beetles. The active ingredient is fipronil (the same thing used in Frontine for your pets). The stuff is not approved for use in bee hives. It does appear to work well. I'm not recommending it. I don't use it. I'm just passing on the info.
Again, in my experience, the single best, non chemical thing you can do is get your hives out of the shade.

 

[TonyL]

Ken,

I'm also in middle TN and I had some tough times with SHBs this past fall. Their numbers exploded in all four hives. We made beetle traps using diatomaceous earth and placed them on the inner cover and that seemed to help and the numbers dropped shortly thereafter. (We made our traps about 1/2 the size of what you'll see in the article.) We also cleared the leaves and grass around the hives and sprinkled diatomaceous earth on the ground to get any larvae that might be around.

When I did a thorough check on all four hives yesterday I found three—that's right, three—beetles total.

Also, though it's a bit off topic, all four hives wintered really well and have plenty of stores left. They were foraging strongly yesterday and bringing in a dingy brown pollen. Some were also taking sugar maple sap from one of the trees in the yard.

Good luck!

 

[USCBeeMan]

Tony, thanks for the link. Seems simple enough. Where did you purchase the Permaguard D10?

 

[TonyL]

Ken,

Permaguard D10 is probably a brand name in Australia, so I doubt you'll find it here by that name. But you can get diatomaceous earth at garden supply stores and at some hardware stores. I think ACE Hardware carries it, for example.

 

[USCBeeMan]

Perma-Guard has a head office in NC. Found it by Google.

 

[kbfarms]

Has anyone found out if upper entrances also reduce the number of SHB?

 

[Chick]

The beetles must go back to the ground to pupate. They do not like high pH soil. Mix lime and water in a bucket, and soak it into the ground around your hives, or just sprinkle lime on the ground. This will not solve your problem, but it will help. It basically makes the beetles go somewhere else.