checkmite +

hooyaman · October 10, 2007, 08:51:47 PM

hey fellow beekeepers,
just wondering how many of you are familiar with checkmite +. I have a problem with shb in my hives and bought checkmite + to eliminate the problem, but after reading the paperwork I am afraid to open the package for fear of getting poisoned. Do you all wear a chemical mask when working with product or what, because the paper says a person can be poisoned by inhaling it, touching it, ect.
How do you all go about handling this product, because I need to get rid of the shb in my hives, but at the same time I don't want to get poison either.

Michael Bush · October 10, 2007, 09:19:37 PM

>just wondering how many of you are familiar with checkmite +.

Familar? Yes.

> I have a problem with shb in my hives and bought checkmite + to eliminate the problem, but after reading the paperwork I am afraid to open the package for fear of getting poisoned.

You should be.

> Do you all wear a chemical mask when working with product or what, because the paper says a person can be poisoned by inhaling it, touching it, ect.

I won't touch it. I won't buy it. I won't put it in my hive.

asprince · October 10, 2007, 09:24:25 PM

Michael, what do you advise for SHB? How do you combat them?

Steve

Understudy · October 10, 2007, 09:46:01 PM

Checkmite does not do anything against SHB despite what the label says.

I would recommend reading Lind'a site on making and using the Sonny and Mel SHB trap.

http://beekeeperlinda.blogspot.com/2007/05/small-hive-beetle-trap-saga.html

Sincerely,
Brendhan

hooyaman · October 10, 2007, 10:13:59 PM

Isnt there anything on the market that will kill the shb. I have found them in all my hives. They are not laying eggs in the hives yet, but that is not to say they wont. I am using the shb traps and they seem to be catching them, but there are still some in there crawling around. Im up for suggestions to try and kill them, but the only thing i have found on the market that claims to kill them is checkmite and looks like I wont be using that.

asprince · October 11, 2007, 07:08:09 AM

PROPERLY used, fipronil will work. I and every bee keeper that I know personally use it. Do a search of this site and read all the previous posts. Again, it must be used properly.

Steve

hooyaman · October 11, 2007, 11:05:00 PM

fipronil is an option , but I don't want to take a chance of loosing my bees to the shb. I know you all don't like the idea of using checkmite, but it looks like the only option to take care of the shb problem. I would like to keep my beekeeping organic, but with all the different diseases and pests that attack our ladies, I have to use chemicals to keep my hives healthy. I am tired of seeing the shb in my hives every time i open them up. I know the bees don't like seeing them either, so its time to come to their rescue and kill the intruder with checkmite. So I have the checkmite on the bottom boards attached to the bottom of corrugated cardboard and dug a trench around each of my hives, treating the soil with oil and then covering the trench back up so my bees cant get to it. Hopefully this will slow and hpoefully stop the shb problem.

Michael Bush · October 13, 2007, 08:49:45 PM

>Michael, what do you advise for SHB?

I don't give advice on SHB as I have no experience with them other than seeing them in hives in North Carolina when I was visiting there.

> How do you combat them?

I don't.

According to the people I talked to in NC they are not a problem in a strong hive. If they were causing me a lot of problems I'd probably go to all Honey Super Cell or PermaComb and maybe set up traps.

Kirk-o · October 14, 2007, 08:55:29 PM

Michaels solution makes sense because it is chemical free.Also those bettles don't eat plastic to good.Another dimond of knowledge thank you michael
kirko

hooyaman · October 16, 2007, 09:48:25 AM

beekeeping using no chemicals at all is the best way if you don't run into any problems with diseases, but a few years ago I lost 3 hives to tracheal mites and figured the bees would fight them off naturally, but they didn't. This year i had an invasion of hive beetles and tried the oil traps, which were catching a few beetles, but it was not combating the problem. I had to make a decision whether to let the bees fight them off or help them out with chemicals, so I put one strip of checkmite + , cut in half on a piece of cardboard and placed on the bottom board of each of my hives, then dug a trench around my hives and poured oil in the trench, then covered it up. I killed the beetles in my hives for this year, but will be keeping a close eye out for the shb from now on. Hopefully someone will come up with a more safer solution in combating this little pest, But for now I am satisfied.
JEFF

Old Timer · October 16, 2007, 06:45:06 PM

instead of using oil next year try some gardstar. i think if i ever got the beetles i would use it. maybe someone on here has experience with it?

http://www.mannlakeltd.com/catalog/page36.html

Michael Bush · October 16, 2007, 08:51:26 PM

>but a few years ago I lost 3 hives to tracheal mites and figured the bees would fight them off naturally, but they didn't.

They don't fight them off. They either have resistance (genetic) or they don't. Find a new queen supplier, preferably one that is rearing Tracheal Mite resistant bees. I never treat for Tracheal Mites.

tillie · October 16, 2007, 08:57:13 PM

The more I fight the SHBs the more I think a strong hive is the main answer. I have two kinds of non pesticide traps in my hives - both operate with either vinegar or FGMO - I find lots of SHBs in the traps but also lots in the hives and as I feed for winter, there are SHBs enjoying the honey or syrup that I leave for the bees. However both of my hives are strong and are showing no evidence of being damaged by the presence of SHBs - sometimes TONS of them -

Linda T in Atlanta

hooyaman · October 17, 2007, 09:45:32 AM

> instead of using oil next year try some gardstar....
Yea old timer I will be putting gardstar down next year, although I not sure if the shb was breeding around my hives. I read somewhere that the shb will fly for miles to get to a beehive and if that's the case we will never get rid of them, unless the farmers have problems with them messing up their crops.

> Finding another queen breeder.....
Your right Michael and I did find another breeder. So far I haven't noticed any signs of mites in my apiary. I do know one thing, with everything that can go wrong with our bees, we have our job cut out for us. But its worth it because I love this hobby. You guys are great. Thanks a whole bunch

John Jones · April 28, 2008, 11:06:17 AM

Mouth aspirator to suck up the beetles. See link gemplers.com search on Aspirator

A student PHD at the BEE Lab at the University of Georgia was using one of these to rid his hive of beetles. In about 30 minutes he cleared a complete hive out and did not miss a single beetle. When we go through he had a nice colledtion of beetles that will never get into his hives again.

as info,

John Jones

golddust-twins · July 29, 2008, 10:38:15 PM

checkmite + ---illegal in Oregon...for another year.

And do you ever wonder why there is such a rise in ALS, MS, and other neurological diseases?