BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER > GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM.
Oil trap screened hive bottom?
cao:
I haven't got pans on my long hives yet and there are 4 or 5 others that don't have pans. But the rest of them do. I will eventually have every hive have a pan with oil whether they need them or not. If one hive has beetles then they all get oil in their pans. I am not willing to chance it anymore. I already lost a hive this year.
As far as the hole size, I milled out two rectangular holes in the plywood bottom board. The pan is what they call 1/8 size baking pan. It is about 6" x 9" so the hole size that I cut out was as big as I could get. The aluminum pans were less than $3 a piece. Couldn't make anything else for that price.
I think certain hives are better and more vigilant to the beetles. I see some hives almost ignore them while other hives seem to continually harass them.
By the way the beetles in the pan in my previous post was just after a week after installing the modified bottom board.
Ben Framed:
--- Quote from: Ben Framed on May 09, 2021, 12:15:44 pm ---
--- Quote from: cao on May 09, 2021, 11:55:51 am ---After my battles with the little buggers, I have found that you don't need a full tray under a full screened bottom. A small pan slid under a small hole cut in a solid bottom board that is screened over can work just as well. This mean less oil less mess and less cost to convert a solid bottom.
--- End quote ---
That's awesome cao. I know from your writings that you have many hives. Do you have this pan system under every hive or do you have a special strategy?
If you don't have these under each hive, do you find beetles from other hives are drawn to these trap hives by smell perhaps? In other words if you have these spaced out among your hives, do you find the beetles in the unprotected hives to be in small numbers now? I am asking because, if I remember correctly, Sawdstmakr said he did not have these under every hive after a period of time if I remember correctly. Again, good job!!
--- End quote ---
--- Quote from: cao on May 09, 2021, 11:23:45 pm ---I haven't got pans on my long hives yet and there are 4 or 5 others that don't have pans. But the rest of them do. I will eventually have every hive have a pan with oil whether they need them or not. If one hive has beetles then they all get oil in their pans. I am not willing to chance it anymore. I already lost a hive this year.
As far as the hole size, I milled out two rectangular holes in the plywood bottom board. The pan is what they call 1/8 size baking pan. It is about 6" x 9" so the hole size that I cut out was as big as I could get. The aluminum pans were less than $3 a piece. Couldn't make anything else for that price.
I think certain hives are better and more vigilant to the beetles. I see some hives almost ignore them while other hives seem to continually harass them.
By the way the beetles in the pan in my previous post was just after a week after installing the modified bottom board.
--- End quote ---
I bet you feel confident knowing that your beetle problems are all but over! That was quite a catch for a week.. Thanks for your answers and input....
Ben Framed:
Cao the more that I look at your picture and set up, the more I like it. I will add your method to what I already have in storage from the first year of beetle (mania) if I need to go back into combat with these pest. Im sure its coming sooner or later.
cao:
>I bet you feel confident knowing that your beetle problems are all but over! That was quite a catch for a week.. Thanks for your answers and input...
Not confident at all. Until I have no beetles in any of the pans, then I will be confident. Right now it is just day to day not wanting to lose any more hives. Having such a problem with beetles makes all aspects of beekeeping harder. Splits become a liability if they don't make it. Storing drawn frames can attract beetles if they have any pollen in them. Harvesting honey and extracting it has to be done quick of risk losing it. Just in general they can suck the fun out of keeping bees.
Ben Framed:
--- Quote from: cao on May 10, 2021, 11:40:17 am --->I bet you feel confident knowing that your beetle problems are all but over! That was quite a catch for a week.. Thanks for your answers and input...
Not confident at all. Until I have no beetles in any of the pans, then I will be confident. Right now it is just day to day not wanting to lose any more hives. Having such a problem with beetles makes all aspects of beekeeping harder. Splits become a liability if they don't make it. Storing drawn frames can attract beetles if they have any pollen in them. Harvesting honey and extracting it has to be done quick of risk losing it. Just in general they can suck the fun out of keeping bees
--- End quote ---
Yes that is true. You are on track for success.
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