What Is The Best Beetle Trap?

[Ben Framed]

I am sure beetle traps have been discussed numerous times and I am guessing that there are different opinions of what is the best beetle Trap. What are your experiences and which do you like the best? Any Trap that catches a beetle is a plus...  Thanks, Phillip Hall

[AR Beekeeper]

The Freeman style trap is an excellent trap.  Swiffer sheets are good for an inside the hive trap.

[Dallasbeek]

Some people say the Swiffer sheets catch as many bees as they do beetles.   I have not tried them for that reason.  Have you found that not to be true in your experience, AR?

[eltalia]

Too easy... like wives/GF's - that one, or more, under your roof ;-)))

Bill

[AR Beekeeper]

Dallasbeek;  They will catch some bees, but they are so few compared with the number of beetles they trap.  The only great danger is trapping the queen, but if the half sheet is placed in a corner in the upper box, that usually will not happen.  At least it has not happened to me or any of the beekeepers that I know.

[Oldbeavo]

We use Beetle Jails, they are a baited trap that attaches to the top of the frame.
The hooks that hold it to the frame also allow you to put it down with out spilling the oil.
Most SHB's caught in a few days was 180.
They are also "bee proof" and re-useable.

[Van, Arkansas, USA]

AR, hello buddy, see ya at the next bee meeting.

Mr. Ben, consider using a can of freeze spray.  Available at amazon or local office supply stores as it?s used to blow dust off delicate computer parts.  The spray is also used in doc office to freeze warts, moles, precancerous (spots) in skin.  It is non flammable, non toxic and minus 62 F.

Mr. Ben, when a beek opens a hive, the beetles make a jail brake and typically 5-7 days later a beek opens the hive again to see slimed frames. This happens all the time in the South, even to yours truly.

So, I got tired of this jail break scenario and tried freeze spray.  It is like this:  now I open a hive, the beetles scatter and run into the bottom of the comb cell, I insert the tube that comes with the can of freeze spray into the cell, pull the trigger on the spray can and that beetle is a goner.  The tube I am talking about is the same as used on WD-40 and inserts into the nozzle of the spray can.  This tube directs the freeze with pin point accuracy, even blocks the beetle into the cell and a honey bee 1/2 inch away is unharmed.  If there is an egg or larva on the opposite side of the frame, yes, it will be frozen, but a small price to pay.

Usually the beetle jail is in the outer frames, 1,2 or 9,10 where food is stored so freezing the opposite cell is of no harm.  If bees are in the way, hold the can 8?10 inches away and give the bees a quick
blast of cold air.   The bees willl scatter away from the beetles giving you a clear shot.

When I open a hive, every beetle is sprayed, I leave few survivors, as on occasion a beetle flys off, but I get him/her sooner or later leaving Van with a big smile.
Blessings

These beetles are very susceptible to freeze, drops them dead.

[Beeboy01]

I take SHB's in my hives personally and have declared scorched earth war on them. Beetle Blasters work but can give the SHB's a place to hide under the side strips,if you are using them drag a hive tool along the edge of the Beetle Blaster trap to crush any that are hiding underneath. Swifter sheets work as long as they are microfiber, there are a lot of knockoffs that are not microfiber and can not tangle  the spines on the SHB's legs. The bees will also propolus the sheets over in about ten days but they will work placed on the top corners inside the inner cover.
  I haven't tried CD covers or any of the line of traps designed off the CD cover idea. They appear to work and the design is sound.
Breaking the SHB life cycle by using a ground drench is important, I do it every four months for my hives. Some use diatomaceous earth  under their hives which also works on ants.
  I use home made screened bottom boards with a tray. Depending on the number of SHB's spotted I will either use soapy water in the tray or mineral oil. When the bees knock a SHB down into the tray it drowns. The trays also catch any larva that might drop out of the hive.
  I also use a shallow plastic container that has a wood frame which is covered with 1/4 inch hardware screen. I fill the container with about a inch of soapy water. If I pull a frame that has any SHB's on it then take it and smack it against the 1/4 inch screening hard enough to knock the SHB's off, they fall through the screen and drown in the soapy water while any bees bounce off the screen and fly away. Been using this setup or about five years and have cleared hundreds of SHB's out of badly infested hives.
  I've learned the hard way, you can't just sit back and hope the traps do their job, for SHB control you need to go after the little monsters and kill them any way you can. Scorched Earth for SHB control!

[Ben Framed]

Some really good ideas are showing up here! The broader the spectrum the better! Knodlege for one is knodlege for all. Thanks Folks, anyone else?

[Ben Framed]

 I was/am wondering about the CD case method. Any experiences with this?

[Beeboy01]

The CD method turns the CD case into a trap. Small holes are drilled or cut in the edges of the case and either a poison or mineral oil is placed in the case. Then the case goes under the screened bottom board if it has a poison in it or with mineral oil it gets placed on top of the frames in the top super where it works like a flat Beetle Blaster trap. I haven't used this method but it is a popular SHB control for some beekeepers.

[BeeMaster2]

The original video of the CD trap showed it being placed in the top of the hive. Keep in mind if you do that the beetles don?t just go into the trap. The crawl out and spread the poison in the hive and in your honey.
Not the best idea.
Jim

[Ben Framed]

The original video of the CD trap showed it being placed in the top of the hive. Keep in mind if you do that the beetles don?t just go into the trap. The crawl out and spread the poison in the hive and in your honey.
Not the best idea.
Jim

Thank you Beeboy01 and sawdstmakr each for you latest replies.

So, these little pest are really a tough nut to crack!! I checked out past post on here while I had a little extra time to do so today and still didn't see the perfect answer. Though I did see some good answers, really good answers, just as some of you that posted here have had some really good ideas, and  shared here. No telling just how many hives these pest have destroyed, how much honey that has been laid to waste or the amount time and resources wasted, not to mention the amount of frustration that has been inflicted on the beekeeper, the protecter of the bees, because of the SHB. Surely, a solid, easy, simply way, non time consuming way to put these little rascals in their place, without a lot of money involved, once and for all will become know?  There has to be a simple answer.  I encourage each of you, even though you have come up with some good weapons against these devils, will come up with the bomb that does them in. Thanks all,  Phillip Hall "Ben Framed"

[bwallace23350]

In three years I have not done anything for small hive beetles but I saw my first one the other day. Is the tray and cooking oil an effective method

[Ben Framed]

In three years I have not done anything for small hive beetles but I saw my first one the other day. Is the tray and cooking oil an effective method

Re: My never wet beetle barrier trial
? Reply #13 on: March 24, 2018, 07:52:16 am ?
Quote
During BeeFest, Dave, the president of the Clay County Bee Club mentioned that he is using a new SHB Grease to get rid of all SHBs in their hives. You mix it up and smear it acros the top of one of the top frames. He says in 3 weeks you will not have a single hive beetle in your hive.
Here is a photo of the formula:
(That did not work, is says JPEG is the wrong typ of file) I will talk to Robo today and see what I need to do.
I have not tried it yet but I will Bee.

Jim

I am wondering if this post from Jim just might be the bomb that we are looking for? Or if not the bomb, at least heavy armament? 

[bwallace23350]

Where do you buy such grease?

[Ben Framed]

Where do you buy such grease?

@ bwallace
This was from Jim "sawdstmakr" and it does sound promising , doesn't it?

Re: My never wet beetle barrier trial
? Reply #25 on: March 26, 2018, 07:59:56 am ?
Quote
Small Hive Beetle Grease
Here is a formula for making Small hive Beetle Grease. I typed it in so that it is easier to copy and use. I have not used it yet but I will be trying it out soon. I was told to mix the Ingredients in a bowl and then make 1/2? round strips and place one them on top of a frame. I?m not sure of the size/amount so if someone from Beefest 2018 remembers, please correct me. I guess the best thing to do is to divide the resulting mixture up into 22 sections and put one in each hive.
I was told by 3 beekeepers from the Clay County Club that in three weeks you will not see any beetles in your hive.
It sounds like it is worth trying.
Full Batch (90 hives)   1/2 Batch (45 Hives)   1/4 Batch (22 hives)
4 lbs sugar   2 lbs sugar   1 lbs sugar
1.5 lbs Crisco   12 oz Crisco   6 oz Crisco
1 lb honey   8 oz honey   4 oz honey
2 1/2 oz Wintergreen Oil   1 1/4 oz Wintergreen Oil   .625 oz Wintergreen Oil
Jim

[yes2matt]

Dallasbeek;  They will catch some bees, but they are so few compared with the number of beetles they trap.  The only great danger is trapping the queen, but if the half sheet is placed in a corner in the upper box, that usually will not happen.  At least it has not happened to me or any of the beekeepers that I know.

Would you post a picture or a link to the product you used? And also a pic or explanation of where you put them? I put Swiffer sheets (cut in half) directly on top of the frames toward the corners of the box and caught no bees nor beetles.

I've used Beetle Blaster inserts with some success. I think it depends where you put them, but I haven't been methodical in learning where.

Sent from my SM-J327P using Tapatalk

[Beeboy01]

I've noticed that the swiffer sheets catch a lot more beetles when their population is higher in the hive. There is a new product out called Dine-A-Max Beetle Towels that are specifically designed for small hive beetles. They are in the new Mann Lake catalog. Haven't tried them yet but might instead of using swiffer sheets.

[Ben Framed]

I've noticed that the swiffer sheets catch a lot more beetles when their population is higher in the hive. There is a new product out called Dine-A-Max Beetle Towels that are specifically designed for small hive beetles. They are in the new Mann Lake catalog. Haven't tried them yet but might instead of using swiffer sheets.

Thank you Sir!!