Neverwet

Peanut · July 03, 2016, 11:17:06 PM

Has anyone seen the youtube video by the beekeeper using metal strips coated with ?Neverwet? inside his hives? Hive beetles can not climb up, across the strips. Their feet will not stick to the surface.

It is my understanding that hive beetles will not fly inside the hive because doing so would expose there backs to stings. As long as they don?t raise their shells to fly they can?t be killed they way.

Long story short the hive beetles are trapped on the bottom board. That?s the theory anyway.

His name is Jeff Willard, after years of trying all the standards he came up with this last fall.

Peanut · July 06, 2016, 01:47:28 AM

Since no one spoke up I'm guessing no one has heard of it. I'm going to give it a try. I have a 50ft roll of galvanized roof flashing, a sheet metal brake and the "neverwet" will be here Thursday. I will try it on 3 of 5 hives for comparison. Maybe something that will help other folks... maybe not...

Florida Bee Rancher · August 28, 2016, 03:43:11 PM

Hi Peanut,

I am the person on the you tube video and "YES" it really works. One thing that I discovered after I made the video is that moisture will swell the wood in the bee hive causing small cracks between the hive and supers, you need to caulk the seam between the bottom board and hive body and use 1/8" x 1/2" polyethylene foam tape between the hive body, supers and vent tops. This will close "any" cracks or openings above the coated flanges, if you don't the hive beetles will find an opening and get in your hive. I would make up 4 hives at a time, with coated flanges attached to the bottom boards and hive bodies staples to the bottom boards, caulked the seam and let dry. It was easier to transfer the bees and frames to the new flanged hive bodies than to attach the coated flanges and caulk seam with the bees in the hive. This is where I buy my foam tape; http://www.equalseal.com/White-Polyethylene-Closed-Cell-Foam-s/2187.htm Good luck with your Bees.....

Florida Bee Rancher · September 01, 2016, 05:47:30 PM

Here is the link again to watch, if needed..... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfnefkJSfBs

capt44 · February 26, 2017, 12:29:32 PM

I placed several of these on some of my hives and have got to say that the hives with the baffles installed have very few beetles if any.
But the hives that didn't have the baffles do have beetles.
This is my observation inspecting the hives this spring of 2017.
I am in the process of making more to install on my hives, except I'm making a square shim and placing the shim with baffles on the bottom board and placing the box on top of the shim.

Florida Bee Rancher · March 03, 2017, 10:14:16 PM

Hello capt44,

Make sure you caulk and seal all cracks above the Neverwet coated flanges to remove any access to the hive and you will really start seeing a difference. Check out the two update videos I made for the Excluder on you tube, it gives some additional ideas using polyethylene foam tape to keep the beetles out. Good luck with your bees.....

capt44 · March 31, 2017, 09:57:03 PM

The temperatures are rising.
What we've learned so far is in the spring while still cool (below 85 degrees F) when the female beetle lays the eggs, two at a time, it takes from a week to two weeks for them to hatch.
Now the male beetles are looking for protein and will cannibalize the females eggs.
But when the temperatures get above 85 degrees F the beetle eggs can hatch in 1 1/2 to 2 days.
That is when we see infestations around Mid May and June.
There is a professor Entomologist/Apiculturist that is doing research on the small hive beetles and is using one of my bee yards for his study's and data.
I hope they find something that will help.

iddee · March 31, 2017, 10:25:52 PM

When they are done, please post links to their work. It should be some very interesting reading.

tycrnp · July 16, 2017, 04:25:31 PM

We have the Never Wet strips in the bottom of our hives and foam strips on the top edge of every box and on the top edge of the inner cover. We have 4 hives. Yesterday I had 1 hive beetle in 1 hive, 5 in another, and 0 in the other 2 hives. I will never have a hive without these 2 items because I really do not want to use chemicals.

Florida Bee Rancher · July 29, 2017, 03:20:53 PM

Replacement link to Neverwet video........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfnefkJSfBs

capt44 · December 12, 2017, 11:41:33 PM

The treated strips do work UNTIL they get crud on them then the small hive beetles can walk on it.
It must be clean.

Ben Framed · April 06, 2018, 02:56:47 AM

Quote from: capt44 on December 12, 2017, 11:41:33 PM
The treated strips do work UNTIL they get crud on them then the small hive beetles can walk on it.
It must be clean.

Hi Richard, I am also interested in some kind of way, a better way to stop these pest. I would like to ask you, about how long, in your experience, does it take for the crud to build up enough that the strips become in effective? Thanks, Phillip "Ben Framed"

capt44 · July 15, 2018, 12:46:28 AM

About 2 months.

Ben Framed · August 25, 2018, 12:12:25 AM

Quote from: capt44 on July 15, 2018, 12:46:28 AM
About 2 months.

Capt, if we add clean fresh ones, say, around April 1, take off and clean again about June 1 and again around August 1 would that get us through the small hive beetle season or should this be done until the frost or more? Every two months don't sound that bad for the backyard beekeeper. Now for a commercial guy would be much more work. Would it be worth it to be beetle free? Please educate me as the SHB is really a pain in the neck! lol
Thanks Phillip . "Ben Framed"