Beetle blockers..baffles/blocker shims

[derekNGA]

Ok, first for those of you who do not have small hive beetles where you live...you do not know how fortunate you are.  I had the pests invading my hives before I even had bees.  Ive tried a number things and lastly was beetle blaster oil traps.  Little success.  In some hives they just dont go in.  In other hives, they go in, get a dunking and then crawl out tracking the oil over the hive...witnessed it many times and oil all over inside indicates it happens alot.
Ive pondered the different designs baffle strips of aluminum stapled to bottom board, either home made and now seeing being sold by bee supply companies.  Im now seeing a blocker shim being sold (clarks beetle  blocker shim) and kindda liking that concept.  Sorta like a inner cover deal.  Seems to be easiest to install. Just wondering if others have used and pros/cons.  Bottom line, I want easy, fast to install, no maintenance of oil and the mess to start with my beetle issue fast.  This new beetle blocker shim has my interests.  But I dont want to spend alot of money and no very effective.  I could buy a few and "try" but again, all my hives need action quickly to make me feel better about the state they are in.  Im I'm middle Georgia, lots of heat and humidity, would the only 6 holes be a an issue with hive ventilation?  Any thoughts appreciated.

[Van, Arkansas, USA]

Derek,I sympathize with ya.  Here in Arkansas the beetles can wipe out a hive.  I have used same products as you and agree the beetle blasters are not very effective.

I have a friend that uses the shim with six holes about 2 inches in diameter that fit a on bottom board completely covering the bottom of hive.  My friend swears by these shims. 

I have used blasters, tweezers, small vacuums, needles to harpoon the beetles, swiffer pads, and freeze spray.  For a small outfit like mine, 19 hives, the 134 freeze spray works best.  Needles and tweezers were useless, I used out of frustration to no avail.  My trusty hive tool has ruined the life of many a beetle.

I would say the small hive beetle in my area is worse, a bigger threat than varroa.  Good luck, hope the bottom board shims work as well as my friend states.

[little john]

Right now we don't have SHB, but it's been encountered in mainland Europe (Italy) recently, and so I guess it's just a matter of time before it arrives in Britain.
Because of this, scientists over here are beginning to take an interest in methods of control, although I rather think that they are looking to you guys for information as to what works and what doesn't.

Various strains of nematodes are currently being trialled, and I see that diatomaceous earth (diatomite) is also being considered as a viable method of control.  I 'did a Google' and came up with this: http://www.usesfordiatomaceousearth.com/bee-keeping/   as well as a FatBeeMan video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cyjs0RRI3xc 

in which he simply dusts around the hive bottom.  Apparently it works by absorbing lipids from the waxy outer layer of insects' exoskeletons, causing them to dehydrate.  As to why the bees themselves aren't affected - I've no idea.

I only hope that a proven solution for SHB is found before the little sods begin arriving in this parish.
LJ

[texanbelchers]

LJ, that is smoke. DE may impact them if not in a humid environment.  I'd need an entire beach of the stuff to impact the soil.   Humidity causes it to crust over and have no effect.when used in an oil pan.   Humidity also seems to multiply the buggers. 

[BeeMaster2]

Tex,
I agree. DE does not work in my hives, probably because we have such high humidity. The best method that I and my neighbors found is the Screen Bottom Board (SBB) with oil trays. When I put oil in the trays, I kill thousands of SHB every month. It is a pain to clean them and costly using cooking oil. Full sun also helps.
Jim

[little john]

Thanks guys. In a way, I'm not surprised to hear you say that, 'cause if something was that good - then you'd all be using it by now.
As I said, we don't have this problem (yet), and so I know next to nothing about it - other than seeing a few photographs of infestations which are nothing short of alarming.  I thought Varroa was a tough-enough nut to crack - but SHB looks to be a far more serious problem - like Varroa on steroids ...

Question: if a person were to keep hives in a shed, (or if mobile, in purpose built wagons such as many eastern Europeans still do), the hives themselves fitted with upper entrances and open mesh floors, but with the shed/wagon having a solid floor, could the larvae then be dealt with as they exit the hives and attempt to leave the shed or wagon ?  I'm thinking of the floor being powdered with something nasty, like lime or wood ash - or whatever is needed to kill these larvae ?

So how do the big commercial pollination operators deal with SHB ?  Oil pans presumably aren't feasible on that scale.

What really scares me about these little sods is that I read they have something like a 16 km flying range.  No wonder SHB spreads so easily.
LJ

[kanga]

So how do the big commercial pollination operators deal with SHB ?  Oil pans presumably aren't feasible on that scale.

In Australia several of the commercial operators that I know use 'apithor' which I believe is only available in Australia.
https://www.apithor.com.au
DE earth does work but you need to scratch up the surface every couple of days to keep it as a powder or they crawl over the top of it.

I agree with Jim in that using oil works best.  There are numerous designs of traps etc available but they nearly all require the bee to pursue them to be effective, in order for this to happen you need a strong hive.

Kev

[kanga]

The above picture is an in hive beetle trap by Beetle Jail. They work well when the bees don't wax them up.

Kev

[BeeMaster2]

"Question: if a person were to keep hives in a shed, (or if mobile, in purpose built wagons such as many eastern Europeans still do), the hives themselves fitted with upper entrances and open mesh floors, but with the shed/wagon having a solid floor, could the larvae then be dealt with as they exit the hives and attempt to leave the shed or wagon ?  I'm thinking of the floor being powdered with something nasty, like lime or wood ash - or whatever is needed to kill these larvae ?"
LJ,
By the time a thousand larvae are ready to drop out of the hive, the hive is totally slimed, most of the bee larvae is food for the SHB larvae and the bees have or are about to abscond.
A strond hive of bees that know how to keep the SHBs locked up in the hive or chased out of the hive and in my case into the oil trays is what it takes to get them under control. The beetle traps do little if nothing to control the beetles. Every time I used one the oil ended up in the hive and the beetles hid under the top piece of black plastic. I killed more beetles by squishing the top edge down than the trap caught.
With the oil trays in a dozen hives can decimate the SHB population in one season. I and a neighbor saw a drastic reduction when we both did is one year.
All it takes is one slimed hive that is allowed to drop a hive full of larvae to seriously infest an area.
Jim

[Jim134]

Thanks guys. In a way, I'm not surprised to hear you say that, 'cause if something was that good - then you'd all be using it by now.
As I said, we don't have this problem (yet), and so I know next to nothing about it - other than seeing a few photographs of infestations which are nothing short of alarming.  I thought Varroa was a tough-enough nut to crack - but SHB looks to be a far more serious problem - like Varroa on steroids ...

Question: if a person were to keep hives in a shed, (or if mobile, in purpose built wagons such as many eastern Europeans still do), the hives themselves fitted with upper entrances and open mesh floors, but with the shed/wagon having a solid floor, could the larvae then be dealt with as they exit the hives and attempt to leave the shed or wagon ?  I'm thinking of the floor being powdered with something nasty, like lime or wood ash - or whatever is needed to kill these larvae ?

So how do the big commercial pollination operators deal with SHB ?  Oil pans presumably aren't feasible on that scale.

What really scares me about these little sods is that I read they have something like a 16 km flying range.  No wonder SHB spreads so easily.
LJ

    You may not realize this .SHB Do not need to live in a beehive ..  And SHB do love cantaloupe ..The 1st SHB I ever saw was in a grocery store .Cantaloupe I sold as fresh melons .SHB hitch hiked a ride for about a 1000 miles. SHB Can Easily live in a compost pile ..Especially if the compost pile is melon based ..

         BEE HAPPY Jim 134 

[texanbelchers]

Saw, I agree 100%.  They can and will fly a distance and they move from hive to hive to cause more damage.  The discussions about mite bombs is real, but so are SHB bombs; and they have a very short fuse.  2-4 days for eggs to hatch by the 100s, then it is too late to bar the doors.  The only good thing is you can see them to apply hive tool pressure.

I haven't seen (or really looked for) any papers on SHB behavior.  I don't think they are in any way a social insect, but they seem to move in groups.  My guess is they can all sense something in the target at the same time.  Hundreds of them at once can overwhelm even a strong hive.

They like Shade and Humidity.  They like oversized entrances and cracks between hive parts.  They really like pollen patties.  They live for months and don't need a hive to propagate or even survive.  I read comments on threads that the hive was weak to start with or it was mites or it was something else, but they are just nasty little critters that take any opportunity.

[chux]

I wonder what would happen if you put some type of gel bait into the beetle blaster which would attract the beetles in, and then kill them. Seems like that might solve the whole "oil getting everywhere in the hive" problem. Speculating, of course. 

[paus]

I have heard "oil Mess" in my personal conversations with Beeks and in this forum.  I made a few messes until I worked out a solution. Here I go again,  Double screened bottom boards that are bee proof.  One solution is a bottom board that a deep oil pan can be inserted, I make mine with a 2 3/4 inch opening.  I use used disposable casserole pans.  They are a good fit not perfect, this allows air to be drawn around the pans.  I have to roll the edges down to go in the opening, which strengthens the pan, I pour about 1 inch of used cooking oil in the pan.  If the oil is not viscous I strain the hundreds of dead SHB and in one instance thousands of larva and reuse the oil. no mess, no problems.  I realize this would put a strain on larger operations, but in my bee yards this put the brakes on the SHB unless I bring in a badly infested hive which was the case with the previously referenced hive.  Numerous times I have put an oil pan in a hive and check it 24 hours later and usually there around 20 + SHB in the oil then the numbers start to diminish.  I don't think I am sadistic, but I enjoy SEEING dead SHBs .  If an oil pan controls the SHB  that's a better mess than a "Slime out".

[BeeMaster2]

I wonder what would happen if you put some type of gel bait into the beetle blaster which would attract the beetles in, and then kill them. Seems like that might solve the whole "oil getting everywhere in the hive" problem. Speculating, of course. 

Chuck,
There are several videos of how to make such devices on utube. The Fat Beeman has one. The problem is that the beetles do not stay in the traps and they take the poisoned bate into the hives and it ends up in your honey.
Jim