one hive today was 42.
duck, what type of location do you have your hives in?
Shady?
Moist? (Texas...I would think not)
Crowded/numerous colonies?
Fruit or vegetable farm nearby?
With that many beetles it would just about be worth building a #8 screen to place over a pan of soapy water and shake/bump them onto it....beetles go through the mesh and take a swim and bees don't...smash the big ones that don't go through the screen.
Ed
Oh, I see a beekeeper video game ap coming on! The goal is to crush/kill SHB's and WM without damaging the frames or killing bees. You'd progressively loose more points for any drones, workers, and queen killed.
<chuckle> Same thought went through my mind...oughta be a smashing success!!!!! :-D
Oh yeah, you could drop CD cases along the tops of the hives like little SHB land mines and have the beetles go up in smoke when they hit a case.
LMAO! I program games in my spare time. If you guys get me the graphics, swear to god I'll make the game.
If I ever see a dozen or more on top of the inner cover I pass over the smashing and grab the blow torch to smoke them beetles. Yes some bees are loss in the bbq but I feel getting the beetles the more important.
Mmmmm, the smell of freshly roasted beetles. I bet it brings a smile to your face don't it!
Sometimes when I kill beetles and there's several bees in the vicinity I wonder if they realize that I just helped them out or not...you know, something like "Hey Lily! Did ya see that?!! That big white thing smushed some of those slime boogers. Cool!!!! Oh well, back to work!!!"
Ed
Quote from: Intheswamp on July 26, 2012, 01:40:10 AM
Mmmmm, the smell of freshly roasted beetles. I bet it brings a smile to your face don't it!
Sometimes when I kill beetles and there's several bees in the vicinity I wonder if they realize that I just helped them out or not...you know, something like "Hey Lily! Did ya see that?!! That big white thing smushed some of those slime boogers. Cool!!!! Oh well, back to work!!!"
Ed
One of my hives the same bee's that are ignoring the beetle running along that a smash typically ball the smashed beetle, pick it up and fly off with it like they killed it.