Beetle Jail

[Oldbeavo]

Any one using Beetle Jails for SHB control?
Have tried one and caught 170 in 2 days, how do those no.s stack up, seems a lot to me.
Please comment if you experience with Beetle Jails or have a better SHB control system.

[Van, Arkansas, USA]

That?s a lot of beetles in short time.  I have used beetle blasters, I think they are called, plastic wedge that fits in between frames with slots that deny entry by bees.  Usually an attractants, oil base is added.  I have experienced limited success.

What I have found effective is freeze spray, the stuff used by some doctors to remove skin issues such as moles or warts.  When I open a hive, the beetles make a jail brake and run into the combs.  I nail em with freeze spray.  The freeze spray is sold by office supply stores, and Amazon as it is used to remove dust from delicate computer parts.  Non flammable, non toxic and places a deadly freeze on beetles while no harm to bees 1/2 inch away.
Blessings

[Gee Bee]

Hi, I'm a new member. This is my first post. On hive beedles, I have very few. So far I only use a Pooter that I built. It works great.

[Van, Arkansas, USA]

What is a pooter, please describe.  I?m not real familiar with new acronyms,an old fert I am.

[BeeMaster2]

I found the beetle blaster/jails are a pain in the neck and a waste of time. They spill oil in the hive. The beetles love to hide under the black top. I killed more SHBs by crushing down the plastic than were caught in the traps.
I use Screen Bottom Boards with oil trays and Screen Top Boards. When I add oil to the trays, it kills thousands per month. I kill SHBs every time I open the cover. They get trapped on the screen above the hive.
Jim

[Van, Arkansas, USA]

{I killed more SHBs by crushing down the plastic than were caught in the traps.}

Yes, Jim, exactly my experience.

I also use screened bottom boards, FREEMAN is my choice.
Blessings

[Oldbeavo]

We are migratory BK, oil trays would be a total pain. The hives are not on strands, only 2" feet.
We only have one group of 50 that seem the be affected at present but am worried about another group nearby.
How much oil were you using in the trap, we only put about 1/4" in the bottom.
The Beetle Jails you put a lure in them, yeast, honey and pollen. Anything better?

[paus]

I have had great success with oil pans in double screen bottoms ie: the screens are 3.5 inches apart and the oil pan is between the screens and bee proof.  Oil IS messy  I am going to use DE and bait in DSBB.in place of oil, only a dusting of DE should be enough.  Please contribute other thoughts and experience.

[texanbelchers]

My experience:  bottom oil trays work with oil,  DE gets crusty and they just live on top of it.   Oil elsewhere "always" makes a mess. 

[Van, Arkansas, USA]

Beavo, the lure I use is a small piece of pollen patty from bee supply.  The beetles love the stuff.  I surround the pollen patty with diatomaceous earth, this is under screen bottom board so the bees cannot get to the diatoms.  I do not use oil in bottom tray, it?s ok, just not for me, to messy and I have to many hives to be changing or cleaning oil trays.
Blessings

[Van, Arkansas, USA]

Yes, Texan, the DE will eventually harden and has to be removed and replaced.  I?d say DE last about 3 weeks in humid Arkansas, 60-70% humidity averaged.

[paus]

I have been thinking about using diesel this would not be as messy as cooking oil.  I am wondering about what the odor may do for bees and honey, I do not think there would be any detrimental issues for the bees.

[AR Beekeeper]

I use liquid soap and water.  About a gallon of water/soap solution will last 2+ weeks before it evaporates away.  The soap coats the beetles and prevents them from swimming to the side of the pan and climbing out. 

[BeeMaster2]

I have not used the oil in all of my hives since my third year. The trays would turn black in 30 days and bee very rank smelling. By the third year we decimated the SHB population. It has started to build back up. DE did not seem to work but we mostly thought that because the wax moth larvae were not bothered by it. I may try it again.
I would never use diesel. The perfume in it would probably permeate the wax and honey. Very hard to get out of anything it touches.
Jim

[paus]

Soap and water works great except it evaporates very fast in hot weather.  If you add  sodium hexa meta phosphate which is the active ingredient in calgon it works even better.  I quit using it because of the evaporation problem.

[kanga]

Have been using beetle jails for the last 2 years and happy with the results (I am not a migratory beekeeper, if I was I would think you would have to remove them every time you moved your hives) . They have a baffle in the middle which helps prevent oil spills in the hive. I have used numerous types of traps including oil trays under screened bottom boards, I have used DE instead of oil but find that it sucks up the moisture and goes hard in wet weather.
Kev

[Oldbeavo]

Went and checked the traps today, another 87 in the original hive and 120 in another hive.
Put another Beetle Jail in each of these as there were still SHB's running around.
Seems like we have 2 hives in a group of 118 that have been invaded, other hives have a few but not like these two.
Going back tomorrow to take off honey, will check traps again and report.

[Oldbeavo]

Another 120 today, do SHB keep invading a hive as that is about 320 in 8 days, and there are still some scurrying around.
Do they target a hive and keep flying in?

[BeeMaster2]

SHBs can smell a hive that is stressed. Your hive may have or is getting ready to swarm, your inspections may be causing it, it is queenless or it may be weak.
Some commercial beekeepers will stress one hive just to draw the beetles to just one hive to protect the rest.
Jim

[Oldbeavo]

The hive was weak, but has a queen and brood. It was a double deep, so I removed the super to increase the bee density to see if the bees will get on top of the SHB.
How do you store honey supers with SHB around?
At present we are extracting the day after removal but it is not always possible.

[BeeMaster2]

If you cannot extract right away, you need to chill, if not actually freeze the honey to kill the SHB eggs, larvae and the beetles. Chilling them will stop them from developing and destroying the honey but as soon as they warm up they are back in action. When you freeze them they do die.
Jim

[Oldbeavo]

Jim
I have 18 full depth supers that I can't deal with for 4 days, can't chill that anount, 42 degrees C here today, not sure what that is in "F".
Next suggestion please

Cheers
Gary

[cao]

When I remove honey supers, I usually extract within a couple of days.  I haven't had any problem with beetle damage in that short of time(supers stored in house).  There is typically a couple of them running about the combs.  Do they or will they lay eggs in honey comb that has no pollen?  I know they will in frames with pollen.  I've seen that first hand(it's ugly).

[BeeMaster2]

Jim
I have 18 full depth supers that I can't deal with for 4 days, can't chill that anount, 42 degrees C here today, not sure what that is in "F".
Next suggestion please

Cheers
Gary

Gary,
That is 107 F. At that temperature I think it too high for they SHBs to grow. Hence keeping hives in full sun. The problem is your hives will be cooling down at night.
I will see if I can find out if 107F actually kills the larvae.
Jim