SHB travel through 1/8 hardware cloth ?

[malabarchillin]

I bought some of AJ's Beetle eaters but I am not happy that they will be
in the way during hive inspections. I am thinking of making a wire shelf under my
SBB to hold a sonny-mel type trap with a open top pressed against the SBB.
I think it could work for me, but I am not sure if adult SHB can fit through the
1/8" SBB that I made. Do you know for sure if they can get through to the Lure/cocktail ?
I do not want to put it inside a shim on top of brood box. My hives are on
a stand above the ground
Thanks
Mike

[TwT]

from the ones I seen I would have to say NO they will not go through 1/8 screen, not even sure they will go through #8 hardware cloth, they are small but aren't that small!!!!!

[Bee-Bop]

I believe they will go thru #7

How Ever finding # 7 is the problem, I have had it on backorder from Betterbee
for over 2 months,to make some pollen traps, and they appear to be in no hurry to order a new supply.

Bee-Bop

[my-smokepole]

You might try Mc Masters-carr they show they have number 7 product # 9226T011. It is stainless steel wire
http://www.mcmaster.com/
My-smokepole

[Bee-Bop]

You might try Mc Masters-carr they show they have number 7 product # 9226T011. It is stainless steel wire
http://www.mcmaster.com/
My-smokepole

At $18.97 per Sq. Ft., I guess I'll wait on my galvanised 30 Sq.Ft. back order, it's only 59.8 cents a Sq.Ft.

Bee-Bop

[HAB]

$18.97SqFt WOW! What did they do? Import it from the Moon!! :?

[malabarchillin]

http://bp3.blogger.com/_PFDSe_fBOyc/SBY1Csm52xI/AAAAAAAAAdI/FO8CzboRndQ/s1600-h/1.jpg
http://bp0.blogger.com/_PFDSe_fBOyc/SBY1C8m52yI/AAAAAAAAAdQ/Ivs6Y008UA4/s1600-h/2.jpg
http://bp2.blogger.com/_PFDSe_fBOyc/SBY1Dcm52zI/AAAAAAAAAdY/jC-wZTWjT60/s1600-h/3.jpg

Following copied from my blog :
I built a wire 'shelf' under my screen bottom board (SBB) to hold a Sonny/Mel type of Small Hive Beetle trap. The 'Trap' that I will put in the shelf is not the one in the picture. The trap will not have any holes in the sides. The Trap will be wedged up against the bottom side of my SBB so that the beetles can climb (or fall) into the trap and be caught in the Mineral oil. I will bait the trap with the same lure as a regular Sonny/Mel trap. I am not sure if a adult beetle can fit through the 1/8" mesh so I may cut some screen bars and make some 1/8" by 1/4" slots. I purposely made the shelf a little deeper than needed so I can experiment with other containers if necessary. The trap will be wedged up so bees can not access the trap from underneath the SBB.

Another question : will SHB climb across the SBB ? If not I may put something like a 'landing strip' for them to be able to get over the trap.

I do not want to put the traps on top with a super shim because I do not want wild comb up there. I can inspect the trap without disturbing the bees. The wire shelf (1/4") is cheap to make for my 4 hives that are on stands above the ground, but do not have SBB with trays.
Feedback welcome.
Thanks
Mike

[sc-bee]

What you have made is a small west type trap. I am not sure the surface area will be enough for what you are trying to achieve.

The key to most traps are being close to the brood area. Thus the AJ trap, Hood trap, and Mels goes on top of frames etc. The West works because of surface area.

Hope this works for you. Keep us posted  ;).

[Scadsobees]

SHB have no trouble getting through #8 cloth, I've watched 'em do it, they just have to go through diagonally.

Not only that, but SHB can be different sizes, so perhaps the largest can't get through, but the smallest don't have any problem.