Small Hive beetle control measure

GSF · January 13, 2016, 08:18:01 PM

Has anyone ever tried using a micro fiber cloth to control small hive beetles? A friend of mine says he cuts it into 3 inch wide strips and places them on top of frames toward the back. He swears by them. Get them at Dollar General for, yep - about a dollar. He says they get tangled up in it and can't get out.

BeeMaster2 · January 13, 2016, 08:25:36 PM

Interesting concept. Waiting to see if anyone has used it.
Jim

GSF · January 13, 2016, 08:52:00 PM

Here's some from an email I just got from him since I posted this;

You are welcome last year I placed one strip of cloth in a hive for 10 days and caught over 50 beetles ( if I remember correctly,)

I'd like to hear from others as well. I don't think I've ever saw more than 10 shb at one time in a hive. Oil trays & direct sunlight.

BeeMaster2 · January 13, 2016, 08:54:45 PM

Gary,
Thanks.
I will try putting one in the oil tray this spring.
Jim

LKBruns · January 13, 2016, 08:59:05 PM

Opened one of my hives last week here in south Texas. I saw several hive beetles. Are they reproducing this time of year?

I'm interested to see if others have success with the microfiber cloth

sc-bee · January 13, 2016, 11:58:06 PM

I have not tried it but have seen it posted multiple times on Fb. Seems some think standard brown felt from Hobby Lobby etc is better than the micro fiber cloths or handi wipes.

Internet Pic:

GSF · January 14, 2016, 08:00:58 AM

Jim,

He puts his on top of the frames.

SC,

We might could do a side by side comparison just for the giggles and grins.

KeyLargoBees · January 14, 2016, 08:04:11 AM

there are a lot of you tube videos about used dryer sheets....one assumes any of those types of cloths the beetles would get hung up in would be good.

BeeMaster2 · January 14, 2016, 12:20:29 PM

Quote from: GSF on January 14, 2016, 08:00:58 AM
Jim,

He puts his on top of the frames.

SC,

We might could do a side by side comparison just for the giggles and grins.

Gary,
I want to try it in the bottom to trap them without using oil or having to keep opening the trays to kill them. I have pulled out a dry tray of a 6 stack hive full of honey and found thousands of beetles in it. Way more than I could squash. I dumped it in the smoker can and put the lid on. It would be nice if they were all stuck to it. I suspect if they cannot move they will quickly die of starvation. Normally they will make the bees feed them to stay alive in the hives.

ed/La. · January 14, 2016, 09:46:44 PM

I tried Swiffer brand mop pad with limited success. micro fiber cloth worth a try. I will try anything.

Culley · January 15, 2016, 12:26:43 AM

I used the kind of vinyl with a fibrous underside to make some of my inner covers. Before I was using Apithor, heaps of bees would get trapped in the vinyl fibres.

I tried chux wipes but they weren't as good as the vinyl. It was just a waste product I re-used, and I don't know what brand it is or where it came from, but that vinyl is the best thing I've seen for snagging beetles by their leg barbs. I made some prototype traps in CD cases with the vinyl glued inside them.

GSF · January 15, 2016, 11:48:02 AM

Jim, (or anyone), would the SHB/Wax Moth larva get tangled up in it too? They have legs..,

KeyLargoBees · January 15, 2016, 12:30:34 PM

Ummm do Larva have legs?

We are talking about the squiggley maggot looking things right?

capt44 · January 15, 2016, 01:41:07 PM

I'm interested in trying some of the micro fiber sheets to catch small hive beetles.
In the spring they hit hard here in Central Arkansas and anything that will grab those things and hang on is worth a try.
Okay what type of cloth or fiber material are we talking?
I've been afraid of dryer sheets until I read more about the results of it's use.
Any information will be greatly appreciated.

BeeMaster2 · January 15, 2016, 01:51:52 PM

Quote from: GSF on January 15, 2016, 11:48:02 AM
Jim, (or anyone), would the SHB/Wax Moth larva get tangled up in it too? They have legs..,

The larvae are in the comb. Not where they would ge snagged if they did have legs.
Jim

BeeMaster2 · January 15, 2016, 01:54:20 PM

Quote from: capt44 on January 15, 2016, 01:41:07 PM
I'm interested in trying some of the micro fiber sheets to catch small hive beetles.
In the spring they hit hard here in Central Arkansas and anything that will grab those things and hang on is worth a try.
Okay what type of cloth or fiber material are we talking?
I've been afraid of dryer sheets until I read more about the results of it's use.
Any information will be greatly appreciated.

Capt,
These are the wash cloths that have real fine fibers. Usually advertised as micro fiber.
Jim

Joe D · January 15, 2016, 07:49:32 PM

Back a few years ago we talked about using things like dollar general dry cloth refills for the Swiffer sweeper, and Clorox brand handi wipes multi-use reusable cloths. It works good for some and not much for others. I think I first read about this on the Aussie forum. You will get a few bees caught in it also.
For your oil tray I started using a cheap dish washing liquid in water in my trays instead of oil. In the summer every now and then you have to add more water because of evaporation. Soapy water kills bugs just like oil, it doesn't smell as bad when you have bugs in it and is a lot easier to clean and refill.
If I had enough SHB's to catch 50 on a cloth I would have reinstalled the DVD cases with a teaspoon of Crisco in the center and a ring of Fipronil around it. Take a heated ice pick to make a coupe of extra holes in the side, leave top and bottom solid. Don't make the holes big enough for bees to get in. I have put them on top of the inner cover, and once in a while on the top frames. If you have them bad, You can put the just inside the hive at the bottom.

Good luck to you and your bees

Joe D

GSF · January 15, 2016, 10:06:35 PM

Jim, I was thinking about when they tried to return to the ground

I knew I had saw it somewhere before, wax moth larvae does have legs in the front. 3rd one down on the left shows the legs located in the front;

https://www.google.com/search?q=wax+moth+larvae+images&biw=1280&bih=625&tbm=isch&imgil=20ppWoX8BsYwKM%253A%253B0S_trBz5bM9NtM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fmistressbeek.com%25252F2011%25252F09%25252F05%25252Futter-hive-destruction-signs-of-a-dead-beehive%25252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=20ppWoX8BsYwKM%253A%252C0S_trBz5bM9NtM%252C_&ved=0ahUKEwjry7jDnq3KAhXGOyYKHXPdBrIQyjcILw&ei=o6SZVqvuF8b3mAHzupuQCw

same with SHB about #5 to the right or #6 down on the left;

https://www.google.com/search?q=wax+moth+larvae+images&biw=1280&bih=625&tbm=isch&imgil=20ppWoX8BsYwKM%253A%253B0S_trBz5bM9NtM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fmistressbeek.com%25252F2011%25252F09%25252F05%25252Futter-hive-destruction-signs-of-a-dead-beehive%25252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=20ppWoX8BsYwKM%253A%252C0S_trBz5bM9NtM%252C_&ved=0ahUKEwjry7jDnq3KAhXGOyYKHXPdBrIQyjcILw&ei=o6SZVqvuF8b3mAHzupuQCw#tbm=isch&q=small+hive+beetle+larvae+images

BeeMaster2 · January 16, 2016, 06:20:08 AM

You are right Gary, they do have legs. I could not remember if they did, that is why I said "if".
When you get slimed, and there are thousands of young larvae crawling through the wax, it is hard to see legs.
Jim

Culley · January 16, 2016, 08:17:15 PM

I've never seen the larvae get caught in anything, though... Has anyone else?