SMALL HIVE BEETLE 2012....let the games begin

Started by Stinger, May 05, 2012, 05:42:17 PM

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Stinger

May 05, 2012, 05:42:17 PM
Last year I lost my hive to Small Hive Beetles.  I noticed a few in the hive the day before I left for vacation.  When I came home two weeks later all the bees had moved to the outside of the hive, next day they abscounded to the tree above.  My efforts to capture failed.  Inspection of the hive showed in my opinion a severe infestation, yuck what a mess.  Over the winter I planned my strategy, beetle traps, screened bottom boards with oil trays below, new foundation and wooden ware.  I installed two packages three weeks ago.  Week one looking good, week two looking really good, week three (today) beetles.  I have installed the traps, screened bottoms and added the vegetable oil.  Suggestions for other weapons?

iddee

#1
May 05, 2012, 06:57:03 PM
Move the hives to full sunlight. SHB love shade.
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

*Shel Silverstein*

AllenF

#2
May 05, 2012, 07:03:12 PM
When you open the top of the hive, have your torch ready to cook the top of the inner cover.   That is where you can cook a whole lot of beetles.  Keep your empty bee space down.  That way the beetles don't have much hiding spaces.   Never use pollen patties.   That is like a orgy patty for the beetles.

FRAMEshift

#3
May 06, 2012, 12:12:18 AM
Stinger, what kind of soil do you have at the hive site?  Loam, clay, sand?  I am trying to figure out what kinds of soil SHB likes and which ones it doesn't.
"You never can tell with bees."  --  Winnie-the-Pooh

CVBees

#4
May 06, 2012, 09:14:24 AM
@ Frameshift,    Well it appears the clay rich soil of my part of PA is ok for them.  But a couple of beetle blasters and reduced bee space were the trick.  As my current hives strengthen I am finding it harder to find the wee suckers (SHB)
Bees are the key to life as we know it.

Stinger

#5
May 06, 2012, 11:14:50 AM Last Edit: May 06, 2012, 04:24:13 PM by Stinger
We have clay here.  One of the things I failed to mention is that I did a ground drench with Gardstar earlier this spring prior to setting up the apiary.  I noticed yesterday that a commercial beekeeper moved about 10 hives in less than an eighth of a mile from my apiary.  They had to have been moved in during the last two or three days.  Got me wondering if that's where the little buggers came from.

AllenF

#6
May 06, 2012, 03:52:42 PM
Those little buggers live all over the place now.   They prefer bee hives, but can find pollen and fruit outside the hive. 
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