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Author Topic: Hive beetles  (Read 7770 times)

Offline JurassicApiary

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Re: Hive beetles
« Reply #20 on: July 24, 2020, 09:15:47 pm »
I just lost my Huber hive to small hive beetles.  A mystery.  It was strong and in morning sun.  It was thriving and suddenly succumbed.  I don't have any theories as to why...  The humidity has been running in the 90s and I think that has contributed some but still strong hives usually don't succumb.
Sorry to hear, Michael. 


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Offline shaw4777

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Re: Hive beetles
« Reply #21 on: July 24, 2020, 09:51:24 pm »
Hive beetles suck. I have placed a double layer of landscape cloth under my hive In Tallahassee, FL.   I also have added an oil trap under a screened bottom board.  This seems to have all but eliminated hive beetles within a few weeks.  I opened hive yesterday and only saw one beetle


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One go back too, and sure fire beetle getter is the oil tray beneath the screen bottom. Did you use a full size of the hive oil tray?
Yes, full size tray with Kirkland vegetable oil.  I suspect the landscaping cloth under hive was icing on the cake though.  About 50 square feet of barrier.  Theoretically means larvae can?t get into the soil to finish life cycle


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Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Hive beetles
« Reply #22 on: July 24, 2020, 10:47:22 pm »
> Yes, full size tray with Kirkland vegetable oil.  I suspect the landscaping cloth under hive was icing on the cake though.  About 50 square feet of barrier.  Theoretically means larvae can?t get into the soil to finish life cycle


Thanks, I think it was strictly oil trays that did it.
According to Dr Jamie Ellis., jokingly saying, you would need a slab the size of London to keep them from reaching soil. I will find the research video for you and post it here. One well worth watching and keeping.  Unless there is something about the landscaping cloth that prevents them from making progress in their travels? Could be possible according to the material texture?  Interesting thanks for your reply.
« Last Edit: July 24, 2020, 11:04:40 pm by Ben Framed »
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 Ben Framed

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Re: Hive beetles
« Reply #23 on: July 24, 2020, 10:52:52 pm »
Small Hive Beetle
National Honey Show

Starting at about 14 minutes in, if not a little earlier.
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 Ben Framed

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Re: Hive beetles
« Reply #24 on: July 25, 2020, 12:09:26 am »
Thanks Florida! You advice saved me twice that (with oz exchange rate ) 👍 I confess I have read Michael bush approach and I keep my bees cozy so I haven?t seen issues - yet. I hear lots of Aussie horror stories so I thought it might just be luck rather than good management. I have run all matter of traps just in case. But I?ve only ever seen one larvae in the oil tray under one hive and one in bee beetle jail which I promptly squished. Blaster Traps and swiffer cloths persist beetle free. I have caught 1-2 in the fly traps though. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YHUmK5SlzXU

Robo is this you in the video or a long removed cousin? :)
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 Acebird

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Re: Hive beetles
« Reply #25 on: July 25, 2020, 09:06:21 am »
Good post Ben.  Thanks
Brian Cardinal
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Offline shaw4777

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Re: Hive beetles
« Reply #26 on: July 25, 2020, 10:34:16 am »
Small Hive Beetle
National Honey Show

Starting at about 14 minutes in, if not a little earlier.
Thanks Ben. Will check it out.  Think the double layer maybe results in them getting trapped?  I was using oil tray for weeks and it was working (dead beetles) but beetle population was growing.  When I added fabric beetle population seemed to collapse within about 3 weeks.  Ground is on mild slope.  Fabric is folded over on downhill slope but larvae able to get between layers  on uphill end.  Also, decent fire ant population in area.  I suspect exposed larva wandering around on landscape cloth maybe very susceptible to predation by ants.  This is leads me to thoughts about using beneficial nematodes to destroy larvae  that do make it into the ground.  I also wonder if anyone is using nematodes to control mites...


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Offline shaw4777

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Re: Hive beetles
« Reply #27 on: July 25, 2020, 11:02:15 am »
Small Hive Beetle
National Honey Show

Starting at about 14 minutes in, if not a little earlier.
Thanks Ben. Will check it out.  Think the double layer maybe results in them getting trapped?  I was using oil tray for weeks and it was working (dead beetles) but beetle population was growing.  When I added fabric beetle population seemed to collapse within about 3 weeks.  Ground is on mild slope.  Fabric is folded over on downhill slope but larvae able to get between layers  on uphill end.  Also, decent fire ant population in area.  I suspect exposed larva wandering around on landscape cloth maybe very susceptible to predation by ants.  This is leads me to thoughts about using beneficial nematodes to destroy larvae  that do make it into the ground.  I also wonder if anyone is using nematodes to control mites...


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I dunno...I?m just a rookie but I suspect we could design a trap using a perforated layer of landscape cloth laid on top of a solid bottom layer.  Maybe add diamataceous earth between layers.  Larvae work through top layer and die a horrible death


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Offline shaw4777

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Re: Hive beetles
« Reply #28 on: July 25, 2020, 11:15:35 am »
Maybe a fiberglass mat on top of diamataceous earth and landscape cloth


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Offline shaw4777

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Re: Hive beetles
« Reply #29 on: July 25, 2020, 11:23:11 am »
Maybe a sheet of expanded metal laid over a plastic tray like, like a boot tray or those  you see in wire dog kennels.  Fill tray with oil or diamataceous earth and have a giant screened bottom board that could handle 2 or 3 hives.  Any larvae that escapes internal bottom board would almost certainly fall into external trap. 

Would need to have a few blocks to support expanded metal screen depending on span


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Offline shaw4777

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Re: Hive beetles
« Reply #30 on: July 25, 2020, 11:26:10 am »
I could probably fabricate whole thing out of metal and add a drain to facilitate cleanup


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Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Hive beetles
« Reply #31 on: July 25, 2020, 11:50:02 am »
> I was using oil tray for weeks and it was working (dead beetles) but beetle population was growing.  When I added fabric beetle population seemed to collapse within about 3 weeks.

Jim and Paus taught me of oil traps. Jim told me that when using oil traps the beetles will continue to come like a lure until all beetles in an area are eradicated. The oil trap not only kills beetles that are already in your hive but attracts beetles for your surrounding area. Which is a good thing in my opinion. That may explain why you showed a continued flow of beetles up until point they tapped out. I also suspect the oil trays solved your problem, not the fiber, most likely a coincidence of timing of running out of beetles and placing the sheet of fabric about the same time?
I hope this helps.


Re: How to lure small hive beetles to their death?
? Reply #6 on: July 28, 2018, 08:23:55 am ?
Quote
Ben,
When I was putting vegetable oil in my trays, the dead would build up in the traysand it seemed like the more dead ones there were in them the more they seem to be attracted to the oil. The trays seem to fill faster when there were more dead ones in the oil. The trays would turn solid black. It was not until our SHB population dwindled that this slowed down.
Jim
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 Ben Framed

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Re: Hive beetles
« Reply #32 on: July 25, 2020, 11:50:49 am »
Good post Ben.  Thanks

Thanks Ace. Your Welcome my friend.
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 shaw4777

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Re: Hive beetles
« Reply #33 on: July 29, 2020, 09:58:35 am »
Thank you!


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