The Small Hive Beetle and Diatamateous Earth

[Cindi]

Anyone heard of anything about DE being used to combat the Small Hive Beetle?  Just doing some internet surfing and came across, something that I thought interesting, could be old news, but just thought I would pass it forward, have that most beautiful day, of health, love, peace and friendship, Cindi

http://www.small-farm-permaculture-and-sustainable-living.com/natural_flea_killer.html

From Natural Flea Killer to Small Hive Beetle Trap
Pure diatomaceous earth has now been approved by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) for control of Small Hive Beetle inside beehives.
The NSW Department of Primary Industries provides easy instructions on how to make a Small Hive Beetle Trap using diatomaceous earth. This basically involves gluing the DE onto plywood, which is placed face down on the bottom board inside the beehive

[AllenF]

I have read up on it a little.   No one has come up with a good trap with DE other than placing it under cardboard on the bottom board or in the oil tray without the oil.   The hard part was keeping it from the bees and dry.   But it has been a while for me and things change.

[Michael Bush]

All I know is that diatomaceous earth kills insects... do you want that in a beehive?

[Hemlock]

Would placing the DE on the ground under the hives control the beetles coming down to pupate?  

[AllenF]

If you could keep it dry.

[Culley]

Some people are using it here in cd cases etc.

The traps involve painting glue on a surface, gluing the DE on and then shaking excess off.

I understand it kills the beetles mechanically. They go into the traps, come in contact with it, and die sometime after leaving the traps. Someone on the Down Under forum uses it, he said he finds lots of beetles without legs.
Not sure that humidity is such an issue as it is with lime, but I haven't tried it.

Edit: Here's the thread with the bloke who uses it.
http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,30190.0.html

Would placing the DE on the ground under the hives control the beetles coming down to pupate? 

Not sure that it would kill larvae. I think it kind of gets in the exoskeleton of the beetles and grinds away like sand in bearings.

[hardwood]

I just started using the traps with glued-on DE about three weeks ago. So far I'm encouraged by the results.

Scott

[HomeBru]

DE is essentially microscopic glass needles, the silica exoskeletons from single-celled algae. They're most effective on soft-bodied insects because they essentially shred them but can be just as damaging to small hard-bodied insects. Big thing to remember is that DE dust is an extremely dangerous inhalation hazard so take care when working with it.

You'd want to put it inside a beetle trap because it will harm the bees as well. It's not a poison or a desiccant like lime.

J-

[AllenF]

Scott, can you post a pic or two of the traps you have been trying down there.  Are you using a cd case or a beetle barn or what with the DE?

[hardwood]

Allen, I've searched a little but can't find the link right now so I'll try my best to describe it for you. Maybe the Aussie's can post a link for us?

I took small squares of 1/8" door skins about 3"x4" (I first started with cardboard but was worried that the bees could chew into it). To this I glued a shim of about 1/16" to one end to form a little ramp-like structure. You want the beetles to be able to hide under it but bees can't. I taped off the edges of the under side with 1/2" masking tape to create an area where the DE wouldn't stick so the bees antennae wouldn't come in contact with the DE. I painted the center portion with a thin layer of watered down wood glue and sprinkled DE on the glue until saturated. I let that dry and blew off the excess DE and removed the masking slid in the hive entrances.

Theory here is that the SHB will try to hide from the bees under the plywood. The DE which is on the "ceiling" of the ramp will cut into the joints in the beetles antennae causing two problems for the beetle. 1) the cuts in the antennae cause the beetles to become disoriented and easier for the bees to deal with and 2) since beetles have no way to heal their exoskeletons they slowly desiccate and die.

Scott

[Culley]

So what sort of results have you seen so far Scott?

Here's how the DPI reccomend it here, which is essentially the same as you described.

[hardwood]

Cullz, Thanks for posting that link...it's the exact one I was looking for! I made mine just like that only modified the size to suit me (for sliding into the entrance of migratory pallets).

I haven't really done a complete check on the test hives, but casual observation from the top seems to show less of a beetle problem. Of course that could be due to the cooler weather we've been having.

Scott

[mudlakee]

I have had show chickens for 10 + years DE is all I use. Not for Honey Bees!  Tony

[Cindi]

All I know is that diatomaceous earth kills insects... do you want that in a beehive?

Michael, second response to the post that I set here, yep, totally on, lice, mites, what next, C.