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Author Topic: What are y'all doing for the #!@#$& hive Beetles?  (Read 6669 times)

Offline Fishing-Nut

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What are y'all doing for the #!@#$& hive Beetles?
« on: July 30, 2017, 06:25:56 pm »
What's working for y'all for keeping the hive Beetles in check? Noticed way more than I want to see in a few hives today.
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Offline iddee

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Re: What are y'all doing for the #!@#$& hive Beetles?
« Reply #1 on: July 30, 2017, 06:28:27 pm »
Get them out of the shade. I have about 40 hives in full sun and may find 3 beetles in the whole yard.
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

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Offline Fishing-Nut

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Re: What are y'all doing for the #!@#$& hive Beetles?
« Reply #2 on: July 30, 2017, 07:19:43 pm »
Does nc have a bad problem with Beetles? I know some states done have them as bad as others. But these hives are pretty shaded. On the river bank at the house. If I moved them would I need to inch them around or what would happen if I just picked them up and moved them 20 or 30 yards at one time?
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Offline iddee

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Re: What are y'all doing for the #!@#$& hive Beetles?
« Reply #3 on: July 30, 2017, 07:24:29 pm »
NC and/or SC is where the beetles initially entered the US. Yes, we have plenty.

I would move the 2 stronger ones, then wait about a week and move the last one. It may be as strong as the other two once the foragers take up with it.
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

*Shel Silverstein*

Offline paus

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Re: What are y'all doing for the #!@#$& hive Beetles?
« Reply #4 on: July 30, 2017, 07:27:30 pm »
I have the same problem with three hives that are in the shade from about 10:30  every morning.  I am using oil pans and with these hives have limited success, but much better since I put the oil in.  NOW I HAVE DONE THIS ONCE AND IT WORKED.  Move the hives at night and place some brush or tree limbs or branches over the front of hive, open them up and every day remove some of the brush.

Offline Fishing-Nut

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Re: What are y'all doing for the #!@#$& hive Beetles?
« Reply #5 on: July 30, 2017, 08:00:27 pm »
Dang idee. Are you spying on me or something? There is 3 hives down there. 2 strong ones and one small one. How'd you know?? :shocked:
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Offline iddee

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Re: What are y'all doing for the #!@#$& hive Beetles?
« Reply #6 on: July 30, 2017, 08:44:50 pm »
Newbee luck.  I just started keeping these little ladies about 41 years ago.   :cool:   :cheesy:
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

*Shel Silverstein*

Offline GSF

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Re: What are y'all doing for the #!@#$& hive Beetles?
« Reply #7 on: August 01, 2017, 04:09:03 pm »
I would think that beetles are like bees in that some years are better than others.
When the law no longer protects you from the corrupt, but protects the corrupt from you - then you know your nation is doomed.

Offline RSWOODBEE

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Re: What are y'all doing for the #!@#$& hive Beetles?
« Reply #8 on: August 02, 2017, 11:37:26 am »
I'm using beetle baffles,screen bottoms #6,.035 and oil tray.On these hives none or very few have been noticed. Hives with out them have plenty beetles. Hives part sun and shade.

Offline paus

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Re: What are y'all doing for the #!@#$& hive Beetles?
« Reply #9 on: August 05, 2017, 12:16:37 pm »
Oil Pans are catching 100's in some of my hives, but I have another predator, it looks like a mid size dragon fly all black, gray and white spots.  Yes I have seen it with a bee , but I don't know if it caught it or it was a dead bee, I strongly suspect the latter, as it was near the entrance. A fly swatter works great, but I am curious if anyone has seen this and what is that varmint.

Offline bwallace23350

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Re: What are y'all doing for the #!@#$& hive Beetles?
« Reply #10 on: August 05, 2017, 01:12:57 pm »
I don't see very many in my hives and I have no traps. The frames are full of bees in in majority sun.

Van, Arkansas, USA

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Re: What are y'all doing for the #!@#$& hive Beetles?
« Reply #11 on: August 05, 2017, 07:29:40 pm »
Paus, it is called a "robber fly" or "fly catcher."  They are shy and fast, predacious flys that are deadly to bees.  Fortunately the robber fly is few in number.  Google for pic.
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Offline paus

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Re: What are y'all doing for the #!@#$& hive Beetles?
« Reply #12 on: August 05, 2017, 07:37:16 pm »
Van you nailed it, besides other destructive weapons to varmints a fly swatter is going to become a permanent part of my golf cart.

Offline manfmlox

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Re: What are y'all doing for the #!@#$& hive Beetles?
« Reply #13 on: August 08, 2017, 04:40:45 pm »
I have three hives that were just started this year. One I started from a package and I've yet to see a beetle. The two smaller came from NUCs and both had a few beetles. I bought the beetle blaster traps and filled them with the oil. Caught several in the traps and I haven't seen anymore in the hives.

Offline Oldbeavo

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Re: What are y'all doing for the #!@#$& hive Beetles?
« Reply #14 on: August 08, 2017, 07:12:15 pm »
I will stand corrected but I have been told that SHB's like higher humidity, so whether the trees etc are restricting wind/air flow.
To shift hives, the rule from Sawdustmaster I think, move them 3ft or 3 miles seems to work, it may take multiple shifts but does seem to work well.

Offline eltalia

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Re: What are y'all doing for the #!@#$& hive Beetles?
« Reply #15 on: August 08, 2017, 07:30:23 pm »
I will stand corrected but I have been told that SHB's like higher humidity, so whether the trees etc are restricting wind/air flow.
To shift hives, the rule from Sawdustmaster I think, move them 3ft or 3 miles seems to work, it may take multiple shifts but does seem to work well.

Concur OB, tis my experience in what works. Tho' I have read countless times in the past weeks of difference;"shake 'em out, and they'll walk in" and "throw down twigs and brush and they will reorientate"... all within metres of the original hive position.
Mind you I have also read much of "waaah waah, my bees are gone!!" and "this nuc was strong, that nuc was weak, now that nuc is strong and the other nuc is riddled with beetle".... beats me why some some choose to put the willow to tneir pwn back.
Well not really beats me, an explanation is found in trying to run 4+ colonies in an urban backyard and no option for a remote location shift nor time spent daily moving a colony - the kids swings being in the way.
[shrugs]

Cheerio...

Bill --- and well past time to catch yet anothrr fine
and sunny Spring Day in FNQ ! Tis TBH frame install Day today :-))))

Offline Oldbeavo

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Re: What are y'all doing for the #!@#$& hive Beetles?
« Reply #16 on: August 09, 2017, 06:43:54 pm »
Our hives have floor vents and lid vents, SHB is not an issue, yet.
The difference between hives in SHB infestation, from observation, is related to the bees.
We find the occasional beetle and in some hives the bees chase them and try to grab them, I assume to throw them out, while other bees just walk around like the beetle is OK.
Is beetle aggression another thing we should be considering when breeding bees?

Offline Fishing-Nut

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Re: What are y'all doing for the #!@#$& hive Beetles?
« Reply #17 on: August 09, 2017, 07:14:45 pm »
Beavo I would be interested in something like that. Because I have a hive that's right beside one that's got them pretty bad and they really get after the beetles. They don't have them near as bad as the hive that's less than a foot away. Also about half the bees in this hive are solid black. And testy with me as well. When I take the lid off, if there's a Beetle crawling around on it a bee will grab it up and ball up around it I'm assuming chewing on it. Then it let's go and within a second another bee does the same thing. You can really tell that they don't like the beetles. It's neat to watch.
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Offline Michael Bush

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Re: What are y'all doing for the #!@#$& hive Beetles?
« Reply #18 on: August 09, 2017, 07:21:16 pm »
Larvae are the issue and I don't see a correlation between the number of adults and the number of larvae.  The larvae are dependent on a failing or failed colony.  If there are not enough bees to guard the comb they will take over.
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Offline paus

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Re: What are y'all doing for the #!@#$& hive Beetles?
« Reply #19 on: August 09, 2017, 07:27:05 pm »
It seems that fewer adults mean fewer larva.  How many eggs do female SHB lay a day or is it a burst of eggs  and then no more or does this cycle repeat on a regular basis?

 

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