Hive beetles

[Van, Arkansas, USA]

The Ben Framed cocktail for beetles: water, vinegar and oil on the screened bottom board.  Now that is a great idea.  The vinegar acidifies the water preventing most mold or fungi, the oil prevents evaporation as already explained by Mr. Hall.

Yep, good idea, the vinegar makes the water acidic.  Now organisms do not like acidic conditions, so the addition of vinegar is unique.  Now honey bees don?t like vinegar but that problem is solved by the oil and as we all know, floats on the water vinegar mix.  A triple play, thanks Mr. Ben Framed, your beetles are gonna hate you.

[paus]

This sounds like it will work.  I tried water alone too much evaporation and also water and oil, still messy.   The vinegar will make things more resistant to mold etc.  If oil for this use, is a problem it will greatly stretch the oil supply.  I do not mind the oil mess as all of the results are biodegradable. I just use a hive tool and scrape most of the residue off the pan, in an out of the way place and refill.

[Ben Framed]

@ van and paus
Thanks men, as my old friend Raymond Bullard use to say, "even a blind squirrel  finds an acorn every now and then . "       Best to you all, Phillip

[Ben Framed]

With such good results, I'm wondering if it will be safe to move the bees back into the shade? Shade is much easier on the beekeeer.  I'm tempted to give it a try!! 😁

[rockink]

I have recently been battling SHB as all of you have. Slowly but surely each of my hives are getting worse.

I want to make my own freeman double screen BB boards however, I have been struggling finding trays at a reasonable price. I did Google and found replacement Freeman trays but the cheapest I've found is $12ea and $24 shipping. I can't find aluminum trays the right size and would prefer not to use them.  Size I'm looking for is 15.25" ? 19" x 1" or close to that.

I made one BB and a handmade oil tray. I screwed up the design and killed a few SHB and plenty of bees. I want to find good trays

Please post your BB/Tray ideas.

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[Acebird]

Shade is much easier on the beekeeer.

Leave the hive in the sun and plant one tree that will provide shade at the time you are working the hive and go off the hive for the majority of the day.  You could also get a shade tent.

[BeeMaster2]

Rock,
You can make your own. I do. You can get sheet galvanized steel from your hardware store. Cut a piece of plywood to bee just a little smaller than you want the pan to bee. I also made a frame of 2x4s to fit under it. With large clamps, clamp the metal to the wood and Your work table. Clamp a straight edge board or metal on the edge to be bent. Use a piece of 2x4 to bend the edge over frame. Use a hammer to make make it flat. Use pliers to bend the corners. Use a hammer to flatten them out.
Jim

[paus]

I use garage sale pans but these are scarce.  I use  aluminum casserole pans that have been use an I "repurpose" them.  Bend the edges down all around the pan until the pan will freely go in the DSBB I usually go for 2" and put enough oil to cover the bottom at least 1/4 inch.  Hopefully your stand is level and the oil is even,  but then again we don't live in a perfect world  because of imperfect people.    Buying the pans new is an option because they are cheap like me.  Be sure to make the entrance bee proof, use duct tape if necessary.  Just another observation I do not see bees bearding on the front of DSBB hives, and I have also added a top board that is screened.  We had a cold winter but not extreme,  I put a cloth and sawdust in the top screed, no winter losses on 11 hives fixed this way.

[Ben Framed]

Jim's way is the most accurate way that I have heard of to get that customized fit.  But, if you want a cheeper version, you can simply buy the ross foam board from wal-mart for 88 cents a sheet and this will have enough material to make two nuc pans or one ten frame bottom. The foam is harder to work with than the metal sheeting, but does work well, and is rigid as not to slosh around the oil as you are placing in into your hive.  You will need a heat gun, and a similar set up as Jim uses. First, you will need to determine the size plywood for your mold. It would be better to make your mold with this set up using two sheets doubled for thickness sake.   Simply pre measure your foam board to the desired measurements, using a box cutter knife and a straight edge, pre cut. lay it on the floor and zip away!  Place the pre cut foam board on the mold, crimp the long edges of the foam board, then the crimped edges will be folded all the way back double to sheet and place a with board laid on top on this, as its laying on the floor of your shop and step on it. This will not keep the folded edges in place but will give you a good start in doing so. Using your mold, and a heat gun, simply hold the creases in place and with your heat with your heat gun until "ripe" and go the the opposite side and to the same. Warning the heat gun will melt the foam if not used in a common sense manner. The ends of the foam board can be done in a similar manner. Now, this is not easy do do right at first but will get easier as you get the feel of it. It took me about four tries to get it down pat.  Use black silicone to seal up your end joints once they are folded over.  I did this from scratch trying to get a better, and cheeper oil pan.  I didn't do the following but i'm toying with the idea of using self sealing pop rivets in the ends to clamp the joint together. You will need two pieces of the galvanize to reinforce the soft foam board to protect from the pressure of he pop rivets.  good luck with your inexpensive, customized oil pans.
Phillip Hall "Ben Framed"

[rockink]

Jim, paus, Ben. Thank you guys.

I love these ideas. I'm not cheap just want to make my own stuff since i'm able.

Question is cutting holes and screening them in your bottom board as effective as the full screen Freeman style?

Thanks

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[paus]

The reason I am trying the holes in the bottom board  is to allow the bees to save dropped pollen.  In some climates that may be all of the ventilation needed.

[Ben Framed]

Jim, paus, Ben. Thank you guys.

I love these ideas. I'm not cheap just want to make my own stuff since i'm able.

Question is cutting holes and screening them in your bottom board as effective as the full screen Freeman style?

Thanks

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Cheap is just an added advantage or incentive. The best part is this type of pan is rigid, (stable), you don't have to worry about the pan flexing nearly as much  as the type made from alunium flashing, which wobbles and bobbles. Being rigid makes it easy to load into your oil compartment of your hive without having an oil spill.
  As far as cutting a hole in my botom board, I didn't . There may come a day that I will choose to use a solid bottom board and I  do not want to cut my bottom up.  I do use the same bottom board but the front is now switched around to become the rear. I make a housing, or a top area to sit on top of this same bottom board with a  three sided mini "box" .  This is how I make this, I add to three sides, making an independent oil box,  this is made from a 1X4 (true measurement is 3/4 X 3.5 or 3.75. this is ripped on a table saw to make 1 1/4" X3/4  from the 1X4. Make three cuts, two pieces will be parallel to the top edge of the original bottom board. The third will be parallel to the end of the original bottom board and flush with the opening end. Theae  three pieces will be either nailed or screwed together. Which sits down on the regular bottom board supports, which are normally used to sit your brood boxes on. Again the open end of the new box, or support, of oil tray housing, which ever way you prefer to describe, will  face the rear just as the bottom board opening leaving an opening to slide your oil trays in and out.
   On top of his new ( theee sided box is placed number 8 hardware cloth. I use air staples number 18 Gauge and then a 3/4 X 3/4 strip  is nailed or staples on top of this screen outside edge and will be your new rest for your brood box. Except, when you nail these strips on to of the screen, make sure to switch ends with the opening. Remember the bottom board is turned backward facing the rear instead of the front, Which leaves an opening at the back bottom. Now the new 3/4 stripes will be just the opposite.
Now making the opening for your bees back or front side . Just like any other bottom board except now you have a hollow rest with screen underneath to sit your brood box on. This will be where your bees will now enter your brood box.  When the bees enter the front of your hive , they cannot enter the bottom under the screen (oil compartment) if you do as follows. Slide your loaded oil tray into your new screened bottom board and simply cut a 1x4 to cover this rear opening and screw it into place. The new oil box is now completely Bee proof. Your brood box will be placed on top of this contraption  as your new bottom board .  To clean out simply unscrew one side , slide the 1x4 up on the unscrewed end , and slide out your oil tray and reload .. Easy and 1,2,3. Good luck !
Phillip Hall  "Ben Framed"

[rockink]

With all the help and suggestions I finally was able to come up with this. Its very sturdy and we will see this week if they make good oil trays..

Thank's everyone..

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[paus]

The casserole pans are strong enough if the sides are rolled, if you make a tight roll they are very sturdy.

[yes2matt]

Rock,
You can make your own. I do. You can get sheet galvanized steel from your hardware store. Cut a piece of plywood to bee just a little smaller than you want the pan to bee. I also made a frame of 2x4s to fit under it. With large clamps, clamp the metal to the wood and Your work table. Clamp a straight edge board or metal on the edge to be bent. Use a piece of 2x4 to bend the edge over frame. Use a hammer to make make it flat. Use pliers to bend the corners. Use a hammer to flatten them out.
Jim

Jim, at the next Bee-fest, I would request an activity for an "rain day" or other unscheduled time. Your hive bottoms with the drawers are fantastic, and it would be cool to have a workshop where we divvy up the labor and bang out a whole bunch of them.

[Ben Framed]

With all the help and suggestions I finally was able to come up with this. Its very sturdy and we will see this week if they make good oil trays..

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Thanks rockink, let us know how things work out for you.....

[BeeMaster2]

Rock,
You can make your own. I do. You can get sheet galvanized steel from your hardware store. Cut a piece of plywood to bee just a little smaller than you want the pan to bee. I also made a frame of 2x4s to fit under it. With large clamps, clamp the metal to the wood and Your work table. Clamp a straight edge board or metal on the edge to be bent. Use a piece of 2x4 to bend the edge over frame. Use a hammer to make make it flat. Use pliers to bend the corners. Use a hammer to flatten them out.
Jim

Jim, at the next Bee-fest, I would request an activity for an "rain day" or other unscheduled time. Your hive bottoms with the drawers are fantastic, and it would be cool to have a workshop where we divvy up the labor and bang out a whole bunch of them.

Sounds good to me. I have exhausted all of my tops and bottoms.
Jim

[rockink]

Jim, would you mind sharing pictures or plans of your bottom boards?

Thanks

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[BeeMaster2]

I drew up a set of plans and had them in my work shop before I moved here. I will see if I can find them. I tried to post them on BeeMaster several years ago but they were very faint and did not show up. If I find them, I will use a marker to darken the lines and try posting them again.
Jim

[rockink]

Sounds good! I'm putting my freeman style board in to SketchUp and will share also if I get past the latency issues I'm dealing with.

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