[WRLCPA]

I have huge issues with SHB's here in SC. I've lost more hives to SHB than overwintering, so I was in a search for solutions. I've done sugar shake's, screened bottom boards, Boric acid, Everything. So this season, I started seeing SHB's again in my hives, just a few, but this is how it starts every year until I am over whelmed. Not every hive mind you, but I see them. So what I did this year was experimented with SHB Grease (Really should be called SHB sugar).

I made up a batch and installed the grease in each hive and I haven't seen a beetle in over a month. I am hoping this is the final solution. This is a proactive approach too, making it much more appealing!

Who else has experience with SHB grease...

 

[beemandan]

Some sort of food grease (like Crisco) and sugar? If so, don't count on it helping any. Sorry.

 

[WRLCPA]

You didn't read all of my experience, I haven't seen a beetle in a month. It's the wintergreen oil that is supposed to be the catalyst.

 

[beemandan]

You didn't read all of my experience, I haven't seen a beetle in a month. It's the wintergreen oil that is supposed to be the catalyst.

I read your entire post. I didn’t see any mention of wintergreen in it.
All the same, I think my reply is still correct.
Good luck.

 

[WRLCPA]

I read your entire post. I didn’t see any mention of wintergreen in it.
All the same, I think my reply is still correct.
Good luck.

Thanks Dan

 

[Bicklebok]

Can you tell us a little more about it? Is there a recipe to make it or do you just buy it?

 

[WRLCPA]

Can you tell us a little more about it? Is there a recipe to make it or do you just buy it?

Sure, and to Dan's point, I was nervous about trying it due to what he brought up about putting grease and sugar in the hive. I thought about robbing and other critters getting in, but I ultimately decided that sugar argument against is dead since we put sugar in the hive to overwinter and I "Hoped" that the grease issue would be diluted and or masked with the sugar and or wintergreen.

Anyhow to your question. I made it based on a recipe I found in another forum. 4lbs sugar, 1-1/2 lbs lard, Crisco or some other grease, 1lb honey and 2oz of wintergreen oil. I couldn't find pure wintergreen oil locally so I substituted tea tree oil. Mix lard and sugar well with hand blender, mix in honey and finally oil. Save in refrigerator

The original poster said to place a tablespoon of the grease per frame of bee's. Place on top of the frame so if you have a 5 frame nu'c jamed with bee's add 5 table spoons on top of each frame. I added another table spoon on the bottom board right in front of the entrance theorizing that if it is the wintergreen scent that detracts the SHB's then having a little by the entrance would be beneficial. I will be reapplying every 45 day's except tif there are honey supers on for which I will remove any grease a month ahead of time.

In my larger double deep's, I added the grease on top of the frame on the bottom deep and put the second back over it. When I placed it on the frames, I put a sheet of wax paper down first.

I have seriously not seen a SHB in any of my 11 nuc's and 2 large hives since about a week after I put the grease in them.

 

[snapper1d]

WRLCPA I have noticed a big reduction in beetles doing the same thing.Noticed it last fall that beetles left when I fed syrup with tea tree and wintergreen oils.I had beetles move in this year and I added grease patties with the oils and beetles left out.I have been feeding syrup straight and beetles return.Add.the oils to the syrup and they leave.I have very few beetles now where I once had tons of them.This is something I have been watching this year closely and its working.

 

[AR1]

Posting to follow. Had lots of trouble with beetles last year and would love to find some simple way to control them. Right now just using narrow, small entrances and hoping the bees are defensive. So far no beetles, but it's still early. Maybe the -20 degrees winter killed off a lot of the larvae.

 

[snapper1d]

I moved bees into the bottom here where I had tons of beetles every year and had a ton of them this year until I put on the syrup with the oils.There are some hives about a mile or so from me and that guy said he does nothing for beetles,mites or diseases and when he finds that beetles destroys a hive he just puts another hive there.I had wondered why that yard had always had tons of beetles.

 

[WRLCPA]

As my nuc expanded, they went through the SHB grease quicker than expected and when I inspected yesterday, I saw 2 beetles in 1 nuc. Killed them of course and add new proportions of SHB grease. I will check again in a week and post findings.

 

[1suffolkmare]

I've been trying to fight the beetles myself in the midlands of SC. I am desperately trying to save my last hive that went queenless. I've lost my smallest hive and then my biggest hive. They both swarmed and got too weak to fend off the beetles.
So I'm down to the last one. I've requeened and I pulled the frames and froze them to kill the shb larvae and eggs. Now the queens and remaining bees are in a nuc with swiffer pads. I may be trying your recipe to see if that also helps keep those evil little buggers out of there.

So to clarify, if I have a six frame nuc that only has 4 frames filled with bees, how many tablespoons of the mixture should I put on each frame? And would that be on every frame or only the ones filled with bees?

 

[CDaveH]

I'm confused. Do the bees or beetles eat the mixture or does the mixture just drive the beetles out of the hive?

 

[WRLCPA]

I've been trying to fight the beetles myself in the midlands of SC. I am desperately trying to save my last hive that went queenless. I've lost my smallest hive and then my biggest hive. They both swarmed and got too weak to fend off the beetles.
So I'm down to the last one. I've requeened and I pulled the frames and froze them to kill the shb larvae and eggs. Now the queens and remaining bees are in a nuc with swiffer pads. I may be trying your recipe to see if that also helps keep those evil little buggers out of there.

So to clarify, if I have a six frame nuc that only has 4 frames filled with bees, how many tablespoons of the mixture should I put on each frame? And would that be on every frame or only the ones filled with bees?

I would put 4 table spoons, one each on top of the frames that have bees covering them and one a couple inches away from the opening on the bottom board. You can put the grease directly on the frames or on wax paper. Hope it helps, keep us posted!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[WRLCPA]

I'm confused. Do the bees or beetles eat the mixture or does the mixture just drive the beetles out of the hive?

As I understand it, this mixture is supposed to have a two fold effect in the hive. The wintergreen oil is toxic to mites and beetles. The beetles just avoid the hive due to the scent and the mite's that feed on the blood of the bee's die as a result of the wintergreen in the bee's blood. I can't say anything about mite drop, but I do see a significant drop in SHB. I also read that there is a direct correlation between SHB population and mite level's

 

[snapper1d]

I use mainly in syrup but I think it drives them out but cant say for sure.

 

[blueberrybees]

I use mainly in syrup but I think it drives them out but cant say for sure.

If its the wintergreen oil, why not just put a few drops of wintergreen oil directly on top of the frames and save yourself the trouble of mixing? I understand that it may not affect the mites (if getting in the bee's hemoglyph is the trick for mites), but if the SHB don't like the smell it oughta work.

 

[snapper1d]

Well I feed feed feed to produce nucs to sell so just mix it with the syrup.Mites? I dont know.I dont have much problems with them but I treat real regular.Now I do have two swarms in boxes that are out away from everything and havent been treated at all and I use syrup with the oils on them and they are booming.I do need to check for mites on them and see how they are doing.

 

[WRLCPA]

As my nuc expanded, they went through the SHB grease quicker than expected and when I inspected yesterday, I saw 2 beetles in 1 nuc. Killed them of course and add new proportions of SHB grease. I will check again in a week and post findings.

No Beetles at all today

 

[witalis007]

We had a hive with a mild SHB infestation.
We used Beetle Blaster traps with regular cooking oil in them, you just toss them or wash them out periodically, oil is toxic to the beetles. We also performed a nematode wash directly under and around the hive in early summer.
By fall we didn't see a single SHB, in the hive or in the traps, where we were seeing them before.

I would use the oil mixtures recommended above in addition, it can't hurt but could certainly help.