Small Hive beetle control measure

SlickMick · January 16, 2016, 10:47:37 PM

Unfortunately, no. It would solve a lot of problems though.
Imagine if you could attack the beetles at both stages of their life cycle.

Mick

KeyLargoBees · January 19, 2016, 09:26:27 AM

Ok so maybe Larvae DO have legs :-)

I woudl assume what gets caught in the microfiber is the chitenous "hooks" on the insect legs....so while Larvae/caterpillar/maggots may have leg like appendages they aren't hard and wouldnt have any hooks on them to get caught.

Best bet for the larvae stage is a SBB and an oil tray or gravel/pavers under the hives. My hives have developed a "symbiotic" relationship with the ants....they stay out of the hive and the ants carry off dead bees and any other organic stuff that falls out of the SBB including SHB larvae :-)

BeeMaster2 · January 19, 2016, 01:31:16 PM

Jeff,
What type of ants are they.
The carpenter ants that I have are not beneficial to my hives.
Jim

KeyLargoBees · January 19, 2016, 02:21:52 PM

I am pretty sure they are "Big headed" Ants....majority of the workers are slightly smaller than a fire ant then there are the brute soldier....never bitten me and they live in between the paver stones and around the edges of the gravel pads I have my hives on. See the link below...third one down. Even though it says they feed on sweets I have never seen them in the hive in any numbers....have had them come into the house and get into my cats food....a little diatomaceous earth took care of them then though :-)

http://www.fmcprosolutions.com/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=dsESXNRwKA0%3D&tabid=1232&mid=2082

BeeMaster2 · January 20, 2016, 12:19:31 PM

Thanks Jeff. I saved that link. I do not think we have them here, YET.

DJS · January 25, 2016, 11:28:03 AM

I live in the Central Arkansas and used the swifter brand and cut them in half and put under the inner cover and on top of the inner cover in a couple of hives. Some of the hives I had caught 50+ on one cloth and changed it out after 10 days and did it again. I also found that if you cut them into to small of strips the bees will try to pull them out of the hives. I did have 2 or 3 bees get caught in them. It does not seem to be the answer to the SHB problem but it is a tool to use to help control the.

BeeMaster2 · January 25, 2016, 01:02:59 PM

Any time that you can pull 100 SHB out of a hive and not let them lay eggs with out using chemicals, that is a good thing.
Jim

cao · January 25, 2016, 08:53:00 PM

Welcome to the forum DJS.

Blacksheep · January 26, 2016, 03:30:52 PM

I took a garden spade and went all around my hives sticking the spade in the ground and moving the handle back and forth and then pouring in some termite treatment stuff so I poisoned the soil around my hive whic will last 5 years. The small hive beetles when in the larva stage will go out into the ground till they mature and then come out and try to go bqack into the hives.So the ground is not a friendly place for the larva.
My other methods are,Narrow entrances,full sun,termite strips on the hives, and I will be putting on the fiber cloth when it warms up enough to open the hives.

D Coates · January 26, 2016, 03:52:13 PM

Has anyone here tried moving their hives into full sun to control SHB's? I had trouble with them until I was so fed up I listened to another beekeeper who kept telling me to move them into full sun. Out they went. No tree line, no shade. The SHB's numbers dropped to 10% of what they were. Where they went I don't know but the high majority left for greener pastures. The only time I have SHB issues is with nucs just starting off or nucs or hives that are having queen issues. I keep nucs in the shade until their strong enough to effective regulate their heat. Once they're strong enough to do that out into full sun they go. The SHB's don't follow.

BeeMaster2 · January 26, 2016, 06:31:51 PM

D,
I have my hives in mostly shade and have lots of SHB. I used to have one hive at another house on my street that was in full sun and on an old cement dog pen. Most of the time, that was my best hive. I opened the SBB one day and there were in excess of 300 SHB in it. So many that I opened my smoker can and dump them in it and put the lid on.
Jim

Culley · January 26, 2016, 11:46:00 PM

Quote from: D Coates on January 26, 2016, 03:52:13 PM
Has anyone here tried moving their hives into full sun to control SHB's?

Yes, I tried this, but I found it wasn't enough. I figure our high rainfall and humidity means they can still do well in the sun.