I noticed in Bee Bop's pictures on another thread that he has roofing shingles under the hives. Does this help a lot with control of shb? I put landscaping fabric just under my hives and covered it with pebbles so I can level them, it doesn't seem to be effecting the nasty little critters. Any other tips?
As luck would have it, so far we're dont have SHB "yet" !
The shingles are just for weed control.
I have read that SHB will travel a great distance to reach soil, I have forgot, but it seems from the article something like they had been observed crossing a hard surface 20 ft. to get to soil.
I may have found article thru a Google search.
Good Luck
Bee-Bop
Quote from: catminy on July 18, 2009, 10:56:43 AM
I noticed in Bee Bop's pictures on another thread that he has roofing shingles under the hives. Does this help a lot with control of shb? I put landscaping fabric just under my hives and covered it with pebbles so I can level them, it doesn't seem to be effecting the nasty little critters. Any other tips?
What you put under your hive will have no effect on adults, as they FLY. I had seen them take flight to escape my mashing them, but they also fly in also. I stood out side my hive last night and watched at least 6 or 7 fly in and land on the hive to enter it. They pupate in the ground, so you can treat the soil around the hive with Gardstar to kill the larvae and pupae in the soil. W.T. Kelley sells it.
>Gardstar to kill the larvae and pupae in the soil. W.T. Kelley sells it.
Waste of money!!!
If you are relying on killing the larva in the soil as your primary management of shb, you are simply too late. The beetle has to be dealt with before it lays. If it starts laying it does so profilically (some hundreds of eggs per adult female) and once they hatch your problems multiply exponentially. Once the larva get in to the honey you can almost kiss the crop goodbye.
You have to get control over the beetle before it begins to lay
There are several threads on this forum outlining management practices that will allow you to live with the presence of the beetle without a great deal of worry
Mick
I agree with the above. I just moved my hive, within two weeks I had adult SHB in the hive. This is to short of period of time for them to be from my hive. Kill all of the adult that you can when ever you check the hive, I also have a SBB with a tray under it that catches the larvae, keep your hives strong.
Some of the members of one of our local clubs use rock salt under their hives and one is experimenting with sawdust and oil (fgmo or olive) in a box under the hive entrance (solid bottom board). I do not know their success rate. The salt is used mainly to keep the grass down under the hives, hoping the by-product is killing beetle larvae. Killing the worms is after the fact but it does break the chain at least a little.
Have watched strong hives keep the beetle at bay at the entrance at least long enough for me to smush all I could.
Thanks for the input. I have "beetle eaters" in the hives and the little ladies are doing a great job cornering the buggers. Then I come along and release them when I open the hive. I hate it when that happens! I can almost hear the girls yelling at me.