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Author Topic: Mason jar external beetle trap  (Read 9728 times)

Offline Bob Wilson

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Mason jar external beetle trap
« on: July 16, 2019, 11:44:33 am »
Has anyone tried this kind of small beetle trap? I am thinking of adding some under my long lang which stands on four legs.
A hole is cut in the bottom board to the size of a mason jar lid, which is tacked/glued in place, flush with the bottom surface. Hardware cloth covers the top of the jar which is screwed up under the hive into the lid. The bees chase the beetles, the beetle seek refuge through the screen, and they fall and drown in the oil. The outside of the jar is spray painted enamel black, keeping the interior dark. Would 3 or 4 of these installed under the 4 corners of my 4 foot long hive make a difference?
Would the bees propolize the hardware cloth? Do they propolize screen bottom boards?

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Mason jar external beetle trap
« Reply #1 on: July 16, 2019, 01:48:00 pm »
Bob,
Bees rarely propalize the bottom screen boards. 
I suspect this will work almost as well as a screen bottom board with an oil tray.
Jim Altmiller
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Bob Wilson

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Re: Mason jar external beetle trap
« Reply #2 on: July 16, 2019, 02:23:55 pm »
That was the big question for me, Jim. Would they propolize the hardware cloth and seal up the jar?
I think I will build a second long lang with these jar traps built into place, and set it next to my first hive. Then transfer my bees over to it. Then I can add the traps to my empty first hive, and bring it back out again next spring to lure another swarm.

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Mason jar external beetle trap
« Reply #3 on: July 16, 2019, 07:11:43 pm »
Sounds good.
I was over at Bobsim?s House. He has had a severe problem with SHBs. Lost one hive and another had frames destroyed by them. He was rebuilding his empty top bar hive to add a hardware cloth bottom and a tray to put diatomaceous earth in it. Like you he was working to redo all three hives.
Jim Altmiller
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Mason jar external beetle trap
« Reply #4 on: July 19, 2019, 12:03:57 am »
Bob, Joe May USE to use this method but does no longer. I ask him about this but I can?t remember the reason that he gave me for abandoning this use.
Phillip
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline Bob Wilson

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Re: Mason jar external beetle trap
« Reply #5 on: July 21, 2019, 04:56:21 pm »
Joe who? I would like to know.

Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Mason jar external beetle trap
« Reply #6 on: July 21, 2019, 04:59:22 pm »
Joe who? I would like to know.

Bob, JOE MAY  Use to use this method but does no longer. I ask him about this but I can?t remember the reason that he gave me for abandoning this use.
Phillip

Joe May 😁.  Joe is a YouTube beeman and teaches. (Shares beekeeping methods). Bob it seems he told my that the jars would not work well with his hive stands but I can?t remember for sure. Once he told me he had scrapped this method, I discarded it and never gave it another thought.
Phillip
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline Joe D

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Re: Mason jar external beetle trap
« Reply #7 on: July 23, 2019, 12:31:22 am »
Bob, I used to have a TBH that I put #8 hardware cloth, across the bottom, and had a closed compartment under it with a pan I made with water with a cheap dishwashing liquid mixed in.  In the summer you had to check the water level because of evaporation. When you get several dead shb you can  dump them out and refill. Have it where the bees can't get into it.  It's not as hard to clean as with the oil.  I had it running completely under the hive.

Good Luck to you and your bees,

Joe D

Offline Bob Wilson

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Re: Mason jar external beetle trap
« Reply #8 on: July 23, 2019, 04:51:47 pm »
Joe,
Used to? Do you do something better now with your hives?
I was planning on having an extra jar, unscrewing one jar and pouring its oil through a small sieve into that jar and screwing the extra jar into the former's position. One by one I would strain and trade out each jar with the former. No water. No soap. Just 2 inches of mineral oil in a glass jelly jar. (Preferably, a wide mouth jelly jar)

Offline Bob Wilson

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Re: Mason jar external beetle trap
« Reply #9 on: July 26, 2019, 01:31:37 pm »
I bought some #7 hardware cloth from funnybugbees.com for a little over $3 a sqft. I bought 3 sqft for $10 and change, but the shipping cost almost twice the cost of the product, even after they adjusted their calculations. Now I just need to build this hive with these mason jar traps.

Offline cao

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Re: Mason jar external beetle trap
« Reply #10 on: July 26, 2019, 10:36:08 pm »
I had thought about doing this but the jars would stick down too far and would interfere with the stands I have them on.  I hope they work out for you.

Offline bobsim

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Re: Mason jar external beetle trap
« Reply #11 on: July 28, 2019, 07:12:51 am »
  Hi Bob'

  As sawdstmakr mentioned I'm having quite the time with the little black demon beetles. This is my 6th year and the first time I've had to deal with them.

  I've installed drawers under 1/8" hardware cloth with diatomaceous earth in them and it's working well. I've been checking them daily and the count is finally getting below 20 a day.

  I was surprised to find how hard it is to get #8 hardware cloth these days but the local Ace hardware store did order me a roll. The cost was $17 for a 3' x 5' roll.

  Sorry to hear about you troubles with the little buggers but hey, you're not alone.

Offline bobsim

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Re: Mason jar external beetle trap
« Reply #12 on: July 28, 2019, 07:22:39 am »
  I just noticed you're in GA. If Darien is close to you there's an awesome hardware store there you might check if you're still looking for #8 cloth. It's a block or so away from the boat ramp and it's one of those places you find stuff you forgot you need.

Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Mason jar external beetle trap
« Reply #13 on: July 28, 2019, 11:32:51 am »
  I just noticed you're in GA. If Darien is close to you there's an awesome hardware store there you might check if you're still looking for #8 cloth. It's a block or so away from the boat ramp and it's one of those places you find stuff you forgot you need.

@bobsim
Number 8 is hard to find here in North Ms also as stated. I found some in an old fashioned hardware store in Memphis. And like you I have the screened bottom boards with a tray, except I use oil, but, I am thinking of going to the diatomaceous earth also. As I stated before Joe May left the jar traps behind because of the inconvenience of placement of his hives on hive stands.  Perhaps Bobll has a plan to work around this inconvenience.

@Bobll
I really hope this works out for you. Let us know the results. Thanks, Phillip
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline Bob Wilson

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Re: Mason jar external beetle trap
« Reply #14 on: September 08, 2019, 05:23:05 pm »
Finally getting around to building another long hive, this one with mason jar SHB traps. The jar (with oil in the bottom) will screw upward into the bottom of the hive. The hole will be covered with #7 hardware cloth.
I hope to finish this week. By the way, is it OK to transfer all the frames from the old to the new hive? Since there is brood, the colony won't abscond, will it?

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Mason jar external beetle trap
« Reply #15 on: September 08, 2019, 05:49:44 pm »
Bobil,
I do a lot of cutouts. Bees do not like to abandon brood. Just move them into the new box in the same order they were in the old hive and put it in the same location.
Jim Altmiller
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Bob Wilson

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Re: Mason jar external beetle trap
« Reply #16 on: September 08, 2019, 11:29:22 pm »
Thanks, Jim. That's why I really like this forum. I will post pictures and SHB results after I complete it.

Offline Joe D

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Re: Mason jar external beetle trap
« Reply #17 on: September 12, 2019, 02:51:53 am »
Bob, sorry I don't get on here very much, but the reason I quit using the pan in the TB hive, I have no proof but I think a man with ATT was going to run a telephone line close to my hives, this one was the closest and was sprayed all bees were dead in hive or on ground next to hive.  the next year a swarm moved in and within 2 days they were dead also.  I did away with the hive.  Like Jim said I never had trouble with the bees messing with the hardware cloth, # 8.    If I got a real bad case of shb's  I have in the past put a CD case or 2 in the hive.  put some butter flavored Crisco in the center, get some combat roach poison, it comes in a syringe, phimpronil probably  spelled wrong.  been a long time since I used it, but can help if they get bad.  You put a small line of it around the dab of Crisco.  The shbs love the Crisco will get in go through the roach poison and will die.  I did put a few extra holes in the side of the case with a hot ice pick. not big enough for a bee.  I just done this if had lots of shbs, until they were manageable.

Good luck to you and your bees,

Joe D

Offline Bob Wilson

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Re: Mason jar external beetle trap
« Reply #18 on: September 20, 2019, 09:36:11 pm »
Here are some pictures of the mason jar SHB traps. There are 4 traps, one in each corner of the hive.
1. Cut a hole the size of the jar lid in the bottom corner of the hive. (Keep a jar screwed in the lid to keep it true round as you trace the hole.) I used a skill saw, then a dremel tool.
2. Wood glue the jar rim (lid) so it is flush with the hive bottom board. I also added a few staples on the inside to secure it well.
3. Wood putty the flush top so that all cracks are sealed.
4. Place #7 hardware cloth over each hole, and staple to the hive bottom.
5. Paint the exterior of the jars black to block out light inside the hive.
6. Add a half inch of mineral oil to the bottom of each jar.

We shall see how it works.

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Mason jar external beetle trap
« Reply #19 on: September 21, 2019, 10:28:03 pm »
I?ll bet you kill a lot of SHBs with it.
Jim Altmiller
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

 

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