Anyone have the magic answer and detailed description?
Is their a scent that Small Hive Beetles just simply can not refuse? A scent that they will go to over the smell of a bee hive?
Quote from: Redlands Okie on July 27, 2018, 11:39:44 PM
Was at a meeting recently and several people were talking about the hive beetles sticking to those microfiber cleaning cloths when laid inside the hive. No personal experience.
Thanks Redlands Okie, I have heard the same thing but I havn't tried them either. I am at the point of wanting to totally eradicate them! It is always good to get rid of a few here and a few there but I am wanting more. Surely their is some way to have them march to their death!, I am looking for something that is irresistible to them. Some lure that will have them charmed to the point that they can't resist the scent. Something that will make them react to the similarity of the way a swarm marches into their new box when the queen is waiting inside! Something that will lure them (to the rocks the way the old tales of mermaids lured the ships to the rocks!) paus has given me good advice on the screened oil bottom board and I would love to have a bait inside that will draw them in; even better than oil or and vinegar. I want every last one in my area, eradicated! Just like the judge told William Bonnie dead dead dead!! :grin: Surely with all the great minds, all the universities not only in America but through out the world, their has to be a great answer? Thanks, Phillip
Mate when you find that magic solution you are going to be a very wealthy man!
Ben, while looking, find it for rats, mice, and roaches. You will then be a trillionaire.
Probably has nothing to do with getting rid of the hive beetles right now, but how are your hives set up. Has anything been done to keep the beetles out or to break their life cycle? I think they have to go from the hive and down to the ground in the process. I am hearing that sething the hives up off the ground using product that are slick helps. Such as painted pipe. Also to have something covering the ground under the hive such as tin that prevents them from completing the cycle.
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
Honey comb
Quote from: Bamboo on July 28, 2018, 03:29:20 AM
Mate when you find that magic solution you are going to be a very wealthy man!
Thanks Bamboo, if we can dominate the hive beetle, this would be a tremendous reward in itself. I am very confident that someone out there is dedicated to achieving this very result. Thank you for your comment. Phillip
Quote from: iddee on July 28, 2018, 05:49:21 AM
Ben, while looking, find it for rats, mice, and roaches. You will then be a trillionaire.
Thanks iddee, to funny 😂, but true! As I told Bamboo, I am confident that someone out there is working on this very thing! Something that will lure them to their death! Lol Thanks, Phillip
Quote from: Redlands Okie on July 28, 2018, 07:57:24 AM
Probably has nothing to do with getting rid of the hive beetles right now, but how are your hives set up. Has anything been done to keep the beetles out or to break their life cycle? I think they have to go from the hive and down to the ground in the process. I am hearing that sething the hives up off the ground using product that are slick helps. Such as painted pipe. Also to have something covering the ground under the hive such as tin that prevents them from completing the cycle.
Yea, I do appreicate your reply, and prevention and care of the beetle, is always good. This particular time I am more thinking of annihilation, rather than than prevention. And until annihilation is possiable, your suggestions are very important.. thanks, Phillip
Quote from: sawdstmakr on July 28, 2018, 08:23:55 AM
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
Thanks Jim, this just might be the magic bullet!! Thank you for sharing your results, very encouraging. Also thank you paus for answering my PM. Much appreciated!! Sincerely Phillip
Quote from: Acebird on July 28, 2018, 09:54:14 AM
Honey comb
Thanks ace, but wouldn't it be nice if there was some kind of scent or pheromone that would have them fighting one another to get to the "death pool" :grin: sounds as if Jim and paus solutation may be the closest thing to it? Thanks Phillip
Does anyone know of a person, university, or government that might be working on this very thing and if so what the progress may be?
Ben nematodes are the bullet but God only knows how big an area needs to be treated.
Quote from: Acebird on July 28, 2018, 12:41:24 PM
Ben nematodes are the bullet but God only knows how big an area needs to be treated.
Yes that is one way to kill them in the ground, so I have read. In fact I have purchased some gardstar40 just for that purpose, to treat the ground around the area where the trouble hive was located. What I am asking about is a horse of a different feather. A lure that will have the beetles following like Mary's little lamb. Lined up like beetles ready to board the titanic, so to speak. Anxious to get to the scent at all cost. Something that will draw the beetles to a pitcular spot or place and a one way trip it will be for them. From what Jim described, the oil pan filled with dead beetles sounds good. Have you tried this ace? Again thanks Ace. Phillip
No I haven't tried the oil pan. I don't like the mess. About all I have done is pull the pan out dry and dump the tray in front of the chickens. Or like I said leave a spoiled frame out and let the chickens devour the comb and larvae.
We use a bait in the Beetle Jails that is made from pollen, honey and vegemite (yeast extract) and some water to make a paste.
Seems to attract them with the most we caught in a few days in a hive was 180.
Quote from: Oldbeavo on July 29, 2018, 06:56:03 PM
We use a bait in the Beetle Jails that is made from pollen, honey and vegemite (yeast extract) and some water to make a paste.
Seems to attract them with the most we caught in a few days in a hive was 180.
Thanks Oldbeavo. That is impressive!! I sure would like to have the recipe :grin: the ratio to each one of these ingredients? Thanks for your reply!!
I think a lure is already made or I have read of experimental use of one... the controversy is, do you really want to lure them???
Quote from: sc-bee on July 29, 2018, 09:45:30 PM
I think a lure is already made or I have read of experimental use of one... the controversy is, do you really want to lure them???
They come unwelcome, they come anyway and are already lured naturally to the bee hives, to the apiary, so yes, I want to lure them or divert them from my bees and to something stronger that they can't refuse once they arrive. Like I said earlier, I would like to see them march in a box or trap, as a swarm does when the queen is inside waiting! If this lures others that wouldn't already want to come and slime a hive then so be it. Let them come; to their death! 💀 We gentlemen and ladies are at war with this invader wether we like it or not? I don't want to be defensive or reactive, it's time to be offensive and proactive. In my opinion. Let not one beetle escape!! 😊😁
Quote from: sc-bee on July 29, 2018, 09:45:30 PM
I think a lure is already made or I have read of experimental use of one... the controversy is, do you really want to lure them???
sc-bee I also want to thank you for your reply. Do you know any of the details of this new lure? How effective it is? And if it's close to being past the experimental stages? Thanks again for your input. Sincerely, Phillip Hall
Tuning in :smile:
The Beetle Jail recipe is not exact, about 2 desert spoons of pollen, 1 desert spoon honey and about 1/2 teaspoon vegemite (yeast extract).
Add water to make into a paste. The lure is then used in the Beetle jail in the hive. We only run the Beetle jails in hives that have a lot of beetles, if you see 5-6 when you lift the lid then the hive will get a Beetle jail.
I don't know if it would lure free flying beetles to somewhere else other than a hive?
Quote from: Oldbeavo on July 31, 2018, 06:51:44 PM
The Beetle Jail recipe is not exact, about 2 desert spoons of pollen, 1 desert spoon honey and about 1/2 teaspoon vegemite (yeast extract).
Add water to make into a paste. The lure is then used in the Beetle jail in the hive. We only run the Beetle jails in hives that have a lot of beetles, if you see 5-6 when you lift the lid then the hive will get a Beetle jail.
I don't know if it would lure free flying beetles to somewhere else other than a hive?
Thanks Oldbeavo, this must be some good stuff being you caught 180 beetles in that short period. What I have in mind is setting up a dummy hive or two or three around the perimeter of my bees and would like to "wipe the beetles out before they find a hive they would like to slime. This lure that you have described just might do it along with the (oil treatment) that Jim and paus has described. What I am thinking would help even more would be a distress pheromone. I have heard or read that a freshly queenless hive will put out this pheromone and the beetles will (come a running) so to speak. Is this accurate? Again thanks Oldbeavo for sharing this valuable information as I greatly appreciate it. Thanks, Phillip Hall "Ben Framed"
Nematodes.
The best HB attractant I found is bee bread / pollen. I had some broken comb from a cut out full of it and while open feeding to bees I observed how well it attracts HB. I mixed some with boric acid and made cage #8 hardware cloth to keep bees away from it. I believe it worked. I have very few beetles and I live in deep south. I put some beetle traps with oil and I have caught 0.
Quote from: ed/La. on August 02, 2018, 06:36:56 PM
The best HB attractant I found is bee bread / pollen. I had some broken comb from a cut out full of it and while open feeding to bees I observed how well it attracts HB. I mixed some with boric acid and made cage #8 hardware cloth to keep bees away from it. I believe it worked. I have very few beetles and I live in deep south. I put some beetle traps with oil and I have caught 0.
Thanks ed/La. Sounds good! I really appreciate your reply and I'm glad this worked for you! Will you mind describing how you made the trap with the #8, what shape and size and how and where you placed it? Did you use more than one of these traps? I thank you sir,
Sincerely, Phillip
The below link provides some information re results of research being done in Australia into the SHB.
https://www.goodfruitandvegetables.com.au/story/4421325/research-targets-small-hive-beetle/
Kev
I made the trap with what I had laying around. I bent the hardware cloth in the shape of peice of wood. Secured bait to middle of wood with small piece of hardware cloth and staples. Then fitted the shaped hardware cloth over the piece of wood so bees could not get at bait. Any trap that prevents bees from accessing will work. The CD case trap should work good. I did try it in the hive but do not know if that is allowed. I removed and have outside of hives. Use your imagination and you can come up with a better trap. I have some ideas that I will try if the beetles become a problem. I would like the bait outside the hive with small tube for beetles to access. Small hole in hive at strategic point with access tube sticking in. Something easy, fast to make and dark inside trap.
Quote from: kanga on August 03, 2018, 05:18:41 AM
The below link provides some information re results of research being done in Australia into the SHB.
https://www.goodfruitandvegetables.com.au/story/4421325/research-targets-small-hive-beetle/
Kev
Thanks kanga, interesting report and information. The article also said that the results will
Be Released in 2017. I searched further but I didn't find the results. I must have missed it? Thank you for your input Sir! Sincerely, Phillip
Quote from: ed/La. on August 03, 2018, 11:53:40 AM
I made the trap with what I had laying around. I bent the hardware cloth in the shape of peice of wood. Secured bait to middle of wood with small piece of hardware cloth and staples. Then fitted the shaped hardware cloth over the piece of wood so bees could not get at bait. Any trap that prevents bees from accessing will work. The CD case trap should work good. I did try it in the hive but do not know if that is allowed. I removed and have outside of hives. Use your imagination and you can come up with a better trap. I have some ideas that I will try if the beetles become a problem. I would like the bait outside the hive with small tube for beetles to access. Small hole in hive at strategic point with access tube sticking in. Something easy, fast to make and dark inside trap.
Good job ed/La! Sir it looks as have nailed it with simple scraps!! I have also thought of making a simplentrap of a wife core and a cone similar to a trap out cone but with this set up inside of a number 8 outside core so Bees won't be allowed access to the bate screened trap inside core. Load it with all the things that beetles love and wam! But your set up sounds much more simple and plenty effective! Thank you for sharing your results! Much appreciated Sir. Sincerely Phillip Hall
Bee sure not to put the traps in your hive. The beetles crawl into the trap get the poison on them and then crawl all over the hive until they die. By that time you hive is contaminated. If you cannot eat the bate, do not put it in the hive because you will bee eating it.
Jim
Quote from: sawdstmakr on August 03, 2018, 07:41:12 PM
Bee sure not to put the traps in your hive. The beetles crawl into the trap get the poison on them and then crawl all over the hive until they die. By that time you hive is contaminated. If you cannot eat the bate, do not put it in the hive because you will bee eating it.
Jim
Good advise Jim, that's why I had a dummy hive in mind, maybe two or three. There have been some good thoughts here from our members and hopefully more yet to come.. Thanks, Phillip .
My results are not conclusive that it works well. There is less hive beetles (knock on wood) then every other year. Hard to tell for sure at this point.
I found this article from the University of Louisana. The fifth paragraph is interesting.
Small Hive Beetles - LSU AgCenter
LSU AgCenter ? anr ? entomology ? sma...
Quote
The odors of decaying or fermenting hive products (vinegar, pollen and honey) are extremely attractive to SHB. Some trapping has been done with an external trap using a bait made of pollen dough conditioned by allowing male SHB to feed on it for three days. Small hive beetles bring in yeast that grows on the pollen and as it ferments it releases compounds that mimic honey bee alarm pheromones. This chemical signal is highly attractive to other bees. Experimentation will continue until the perfect aggregating pheromone is isolated and commercialized. Managing for strong, healthy colonies and practicing good sanitation will be our best defense against small hive beetles until then.
Quote from: iddee on July 28, 2018, 05:49:21 AM
Ben, while looking, find it for rats, mice, and roaches. You will then be a trillionaire.
Don't forget ticks and mosquitoes!
Quote from: MikeCinWV on August 05, 2018, 01:15:48 PM
Quote from: iddee on July 28, 2018, 05:49:21 AM
Ben, while looking, find it for rats, mice, and roaches. You will then be a trillionaire.
Don't forget ticks and mosquitoes!
Chickens can destroy a tick sanctuary, but I don't know what to do about the pesky mosquitoes except scratch j/k lol !! Thanks MikeCinWV for posting .
Phillip