Small Hive Beetle & the SBI

[Dusty Rhodes]

Vermillion,


You joined the Forum just a short while ago, hoping to get help from us, I seem to recall.

In the event, you've done us a favour, offering your experience and trying to calm our nerves.

Thanks.

D

 

[tonybloke]

how nice to have such a positive post!! Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences

 

[vermillion]

This may make you feel a little better....

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgUY_Z1R9vA[/ame]

My bees (Italians) will also chase them and grab them if they can.

 

[Hivemaker.]

It is a HUGE problem, but at the same time diligent beekeepers are the best defense,

I have my hive on cinder, out in the full sun. Our state apiarist has said full sun and oil traps are the best defensive measures to take.

And how has the beetle affected your more natural beekeepers,the ones who do nothing?

Full sun is usually a rare thing in this country,plenty of oil though.

 

[vermillion]

Oh my goodness, that is so kind of both of you! I really appreciate it.
I am happy if I have eased your anxiety a little.

Vermillion,


You joined the Forum just a short while ago, hoping to get help from us, I seem to recall.

In the event, you've done us a favour, offering your experience and trying to calm our nerves.

Thanks.

D

how nice to have such a positive post!! Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences

 

[vermillion]

Most of our beekeepers, at least the ones I know are natural beekeepers, actually, at least in terms of using chemicals in the hive or garden.

My mentor at the beeyard is very conservative, but oil traps are simply a must here.

We have tried several varieties, most are still using do-it-yourself models put together quickly. Some are getting more sophisticated, and we are trying a couple of different styles.

ETA: Here is a photo of a popular screened bottom board (SBB) with oil trap. They all are variations on this theme:

http://freemanbeetletrap.com/products_list/g-2_traps_10_frame


Another friend I know keeps bees and is an organic farmer, she uses the traps too. I really dont know anyone who would not intervene in this way, so I cant say what would happen if you did nothing at all.

My TBH friend is retrofitting TBHs for others with a screen bottom oil trap as well. He has 7 TBHs and caught 600 beetles in his trap in one week. The next week, 40. No larvae found. To be fair, the bees in that hive are the feistiest ones he has.

And how has the beetle affected your more natural beekeepers,the ones who do nothing?

Full sun is usually a rare thing in this country,plenty of oil though.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Thank you Vermillion, it sounds like they are not really a big problem if oil baths are fitted.

 

[vermillion]

We are constantly checking for them, but honestly the varroa mite is worse, because of the diseases they vector.

The other thing we are all doing is working on getting comfortable rearing queens, and sharing information (and sharing queens) sometimes the colony is in distress and we cannot wait for nature to take its course. Queenright hives defend themselves the best...

Its brought the beekeepers into closer communication, thats for sure!

Thank you Vermillion, it sounds like they are not really a big problem if oil baths are fitted.

 

[Hivemaker.]

The other thing we are all doing is working on getting comfortable rearing queens, and sharing information (and sharing queens) sometimes the colony is in distress and we cannot wait for nature to take its course. Queenright hives defend themselves the best...

So not very good if you just like to let your bees swarm out, and re queen themselves from whats left.

 

[vermillion]

If you have a good strong hive left, sure, I think. But I am new.

We are also battling varroa mite and its ills at the same time, so its a double onslaught.

So not very good if you just like to let your bees swarm out, and re queen themselves from whats left.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Vermillion. Thanks so much for putting it into perspective, giving us all hope.

 

[itma]

 

[vermillion]

I am so happy if anything I have shared makes a difference!

I really think that the best hope we have for any of these problems, be it hornets, mites, beetles, pesticides, etc., is caring and aware beekeepers partnering with their bees and with one another.

Today I checked my own hive after returning from the mentor's beeyard after going through about 20 hives there. At the beeyard, we only found dead beetles in the traps, I did not see any on the frames. (We saw absolutely no mites, by the way.)

I was nervous to check my hive when I returned home, I am not going to lie to you!

I have seen beetles going in and at dusk and yet found very few in the oil trap. I have been wondering where the are, frankly.....

And I added another deep on Easter weekend so was worried that they may have had too many empty frames to monitor, even though I brought up several from below to make sure there was heavy bee traffic in both boxes.

So, deep breath, and in we went.

I was very happy to have found only a handful of beetles below the screen board and about four or five on each of the four outermost frames. This is well within the bees ability to manage.

And, I was able to squish most of those with my hive tool as they scurried across the wood part of the frames.

I spread a little of that dead beetle material on the front of the landing board. My version of heads on pikes. I have heard that this is a deterrent too.

Today was a good day. There were 8 of us at the beeyard, and unanimously we feel that we have a handle on this, at least for today.

 

[Tom Bick]

That’s very interesting vermillion your first hand experience in dealing with the shb is a great help to us and thank very much for sharing it with us.

Can I ask what is the size of the mesh on the floors and if you could in time post a photo of one of your trays with the beetles in it.

 

[vermillion]

That’s very interesting vermillion your first hand experience in dealing with the shb is a great help to us and thank very much for sharing it with us.

Can I ask what is the size of the mesh on the floors and if you could in time post a photo of one of your trays with the beetles in it.

Its raining today so no photo yet, but the mesh I use is what we call here #8, which is 8 squares to the inch. apparently #7 is the holy grail of mesh size for the SBB, which is 7 squares to the inch. #6 is too big, and #8 does keep some larger beetles out. #7 is of course impossible to find.

We call it hardware cloth here, not sure what you call it where you are.

Here are the measurements in of the opening in primitive American inches:
#8 .108 in
#7 .126 in
#6 .149 in

If you find wire that is a heavy gauge, something like a #6 could work, for example if the wire was fatter, if that makes sense. Its the size of the holes that is the important part.

For example, have a look at this wire, it is called #6 but has an opening of .131, very close to the opening size of the #7 above.

http://www.twpinc.com/wire-mesh/TWPCAT_30/p_006X006A0350W36T

You can see that it is a little pricey, but I am sure you can find something similar.

The main thing features of the oil trap/screened bottom board is that the trap must be completely below the screen, if the beetles go through the screen they need to land in the oil, not anywhere else. Mine has a flaw in this way and so I am going to tweak it.

Also, you need to have the opening at the back of the hive, so you can check it or change the oil without annoying the bees.

And, most importantly (after mesh size), you need to make sure the bees cannot get in the back and end up in the trap. A lot of the homemade traps are flawed in this way, people cobbled together things quickly and some of the finer points were not included in these original designs.

I just got some cake pans from the recycling center to use to build more. Even if the screen does not cover the entire bottom of the hive, the bees will chase the beetles and they will fall through eventually.

You can use anything that will hold oil, even an old drawer lined in plastic.

Its also great if you can put some white sticky paper or even freezer paper on the bottom so that you can see the beetles easily. Of course the thing gets mites too, so thats a plus for me....

Here are some drowned beetles...

I am going to get samples of different screens and play around with them.
Its on the list...I have a bumper crop of cucumbers to deal with first....

 

[Tom Bick]

Thanks for that again. 8 mesh is what we use for the varroa floors so if the worst was to happen and lets hope not most of our floors can be adapted.

Somehow I expected the beetles to be larger and that’s why I asked about the mesh its interesting to know that they are actually quite small.

Also people will have to reasonably level the hives and yes blocking the rear is important something that is often forgotten overhear during appiguard treatment.

Thanks

 

[itma]

... the mesh I use is what we call here #8, which is 8 squares to the inch. apparently #7 is the holy grail of mesh size for the SBB, which is 7 squares to the inch. #6 is too big, and #8 does keep some larger beetles out. #7 is of course impossible to find.

We call it hardware cloth here, not sure what you call it where you are.

Here are the measurements in of the opening in primitive American inches:
#8 .108 in
#7 .126 in
#6 .149 in

If you find wire that is a heavy gauge, something like a #6 could work, for example if the wire was fatter, if that makes sense. Its the size of the holes that is the important part.

For example, have a look at this wire, it is called #6 but has an opening of .131, very close to the opening size of the #7 above.

...

The main thing features of the oil trap/screened bottom board is that the trap must be completely below the screen, if the beetles go through the screen they need to land in the oil, not anywhere else. ...

If I understand that correctly -
The holes have to be big enough for the beetles to fall through.
And you are using #8 which is too small to allow big beetles to drop through into the trap.

What is the downside to using bigger hole #6 ?? (If the ideal #7 isn't around ...)

 

[pbh4]

they are actually quite small.

The clue is in the name

Seriously though, really interesting thread ...

Paul

 

[Luminos]

The clue is in the name

Seriously though, really interesting thread ...

Paul

...not that they just infest small hives?

 

[Tom Bick]

Itma At a guess as I have not seen any but I would think that the 6 mesh is a size that the bees think they can get through and perhaps get stuck and perhaps it will let wasps through?