Thank you Your information has been helpful as an amateur bee keeper I have lost 2 hives and didn't understand why After watching your video I have a better understanding of how to handle hives beetles. I will definitely tell my aspiring beekeeper friends about you ,keep up the good work. FYI, I am in south GA
Truly Enjoyed your video brought back memories, I have the same hard to get out oil pan . What I did was drill a hole in the very end and put a very thin wire in the hole and fashion an Eye in to the end to get my finger in . Thanks
Thank you, I did a split and moved a hive to a friends property and it was full of hive beetles. I use the swiffer and beetle blasters and a screened bottom board. I noticed you re used the the blasters with all the dead beetles in it. I use a hose to clean out the beetle blasters and re use them as well. I have relocated back to my yard after the bees and I killed a bunch of beetles and have been looking for signs of beetle larvae. Thank you again.
I'm glad the hive recovered! I've tried washing those beetle blasters but it's such a pain!! They usually end up getting a crack in them and leaking at some point so watch out for that.
8:00 pm February 11, 2024. 5:13 Thank You for the info. I really appreciate your time and support. I have one Dandant & sons and I have been trying to get my swarm naturally. I'm working on more hives. Yes I'm reading books. I'm on my 6th book.
Particular bad year for hive beetles here. So glad I took the time to make my screened bottoms. I spill oil all over so DE is better for me. I have water in entrance feeders so some of the DE does get wet. But the bottom board still loads up with dead beetles. I get more in the bottoms than any other trap I use.
I used to also spill the oil a lot and then I realized that you don't have to put a lot of oil in there. You just need to coat the pan. 1/8" max is all you need. Yes, they work really well!
I use used ones and I even put the old used ones back in the dryer and use them also they're already kind of shredded up a bit and it works quicker when you use a used one has less scent
I read about essential oils have a detrimental effect on hive beetles and Varoa when blended into liquid sugar feed, can't remember if it was Spearmint or Wintergreen oil because both are used in feeding stimulant products. I live in Virginia and have very little beetle problems and only see a few in traps. I feed pollen and sugar in late summer to keep the colonies strong going into winter, have had a great survival rate the past two winters.
Thank you for your videos, and the simple explanations in plain language. What part of Pennsylvania are you from? I am also from PA. Funny how many don’t live there anymore.😂
Well, you definitely don't want the beetles to be able to lay eggs in the hive. Ideally, they are contained in the crevices by the bees and escape only when you open the hive. When you start to see beetles walking around a frame, you should thoroughly check the frames for beetle larvae. Once beetle larva slime is present, the bees usually ignore that area, allowing it to spread.
You must have giant sized mesh in your bottom board or really tiny beetles. That 1st oil trap is good, but only fr beetles that are skipping the main entrance and investigating the weird area under the hive. I've used the Beetle blaster, beetle jail and baited CD cases. My bees always propolize them shut, almost never a beetle inside.
I don't think I have either on my bottom boards. I purchased them from a beekeeping supply site. They can't be 3/8" or bigger or bees would be getting into them and I highly doubt hawaii has somehow bread a small hybrid beetle. I also used the baited CD cases and when it was really hot, the bait oozed out and poisoned a lot of bees. I'm not a fan of the beetle blasters but you can take a hive tool and push down on the top and squish all the beetles that are hiding under it if the beetles aren't going inside.
I tried to use Swiffer sheets, same kind you have here. One of my hives ignored it completely and no beetles got caught, and about a hundred bees got tangled in the other hive and died. I'm honestly baffled.
Interesting. I don't, actually, use swiffer sheets. I've been told you can use them how I use the brawny dine a max towels, but I, personally use the brawny towels. They're a lot cheaper because you can get them in bulk.
Gravel makes a great ground cover under your hives. It won't prevent beetles, but makes for easier hive inspections. No matter what's on the ground, I would always put a beehive on something to elevate it at least a foot off the ground whether that's a hive stand, cinder blocks or palettes.
I'm sure that would help but it is just so much work to do that to all the hives and I haven't encountered SHB larvae in a hive in years, so it's not a priority.
You want the beetles to drown in the oil pan and it works really well. The swiffer sheets only work if the bees chew it up and then the beetles get stuck it in when they walk over it. You could try putting chewed up swiffer sheets in the oil pan instead of oil and see how well it works but I would think its a waste of equipment.
@@BeekeepingMadeSimplelooking for the brawny dine-a-max towels. I'm obviously looking at the wrong stuff, for I can't imagine paying over $25.⁰⁰ for towels. Please provide a link to the correct brawny dine-a-max towels.
If bees like to chase beetles up, why not have a place for them to go? I'll work on that some. A condo would give them a place to hide, so why not provide a meal while they stay at the Hotel California? Serving table sixty-two now. Put the stuff where it won't bleed out. 😊
Beetle blasters serve that purpose as well as the brawny towels under the lid. Some beetles walk on it and get stuck, but the bees also chase them under the towel. when I take the lid off, I slide my hive tool over the towel to crush any beetles underneath.
Definitely the small hive beetle is a really bad pest i also live in Hawaii, big island I lost quite a few hives to small high beetle I've used beetle traps, oil pan screen bottom definitely the best to use, with oil used lime, as some beekeeper said lime works but I found out it doesn't work very well, haven't tried diatomaceous Earth to much as worried it might kill my bees tried once and it did kill my colony😥 so I don't like using it, have you tired the Guardian Bee Hive Entrance, suppose to keep hive beetles out.
I have not tried the guardian bee hive entrance. I haven't lost a hive to small hive beetle in a long time. I've found that it's incredibly important to have low varroa mite levels in your hive. A strong hive with few mites and viruses can deal with beetles just fine on their own. No trap will work as well as making sure you treat for varroa mites as often as is needed.
A few years ago we had a complete colony of bees. You should not Rob the complete colony, rather keep it with the other hives for its biodiversity. A complete hive has the other bees. You will see a lot of them are an inch long. Bumble bees. The others will be in these hives.
You should make sure to explain that diatomaceous earth is completely harmless to humans and most other animals but is hazardous to insects because it gets in there joints and grinds there joints so they can’t move, diatomaceous earth is completely harmless and is used in dieting for health reasons, and also for skin care.
Good point! I just added it to the video description. I was under the impression that DE is not good if inhaled and quite a bit of dust can come up when scooping it. I'm not a fan because of the mess it leaves in the grass and I'm not sure how effective it is when water and honey drip down into it. Do you have experience with DE? Have you found it to be just as effective if the DE gets wet?
no silica is deadly!!!!! it causes silicosis or brown lung! it act like asbestos and kills you with scar tissue!! Do not get people killed with your lack of info!!!
Thank you
Your information has been helpful as an amateur bee keeper I have lost 2 hives and didn't understand why
After watching your video I have a better understanding of how to handle hives beetles.
I will definitely tell my aspiring beekeeper friends about you ,keep up the good work.
FYI, I am in south GA
So nice of you. Thanks! Sorry to hear about your bees.
Truly Enjoyed your video brought back memories, I have the same hard to get out oil pan . What I did was drill a hole in the very end and put a very thin wire in the hole and fashion an Eye in to the end to get my finger in . Thanks
To help speed up the effectiveness of the towels or sheets is to brush them with a stiff brush like a brass or steel wire brush.
Great tip!
Just put hard peppermint candy in the corners of your hive top and bottom and you will not have beetles or mites. Just do it because it works.
Damn! That is a great video. As a new beekeeper I learned a lot.
Thank you! I'm glad you learned a lot :)
Thank you, I did a split and moved a hive to a friends property and it was full of hive beetles. I use the swiffer and beetle blasters and a screened bottom board. I noticed you re used the the blasters with all the dead beetles in it. I use a hose to clean out the beetle blasters and re use them as well. I have relocated back to my yard after the bees and I killed a bunch of beetles and have been looking for signs of beetle larvae. Thank you again.
I'm glad the hive recovered! I've tried washing those beetle blasters but it's such a pain!! They usually end up getting a crack in them and leaking at some point so watch out for that.
Great content. Thanks!
8:00 pm February 11, 2024. 5:13 Thank You for the info. I really appreciate your time and support. I have one Dandant & sons and I have been trying to get my swarm naturally. I'm working on more hives. Yes I'm reading books. I'm on my 6th book.
Best of luck!
Thanks for the info. Enjoyed the video
Glad it was helpful!
Particular bad year for hive beetles here. So glad I took the time to make my screened bottoms. I spill oil all over so DE is better for me. I have water in entrance feeders so some of the DE does get wet. But the bottom board still loads up with dead beetles. I get more in the bottoms than any other trap I use.
I used to also spill the oil a lot and then I realized that you don't have to put a lot of oil in there. You just need to coat the pan. 1/8" max is all you need. Yes, they work really well!
I use used ones and I even put the old used ones back in the dryer and use them also they're already kind of shredded up a bit and it works quicker when you use a used one has less scent
Thank you
God Bless!!!
I read about essential oils have a detrimental effect on hive beetles and Varoa when blended into liquid sugar feed, can't remember if it was Spearmint or Wintergreen oil because both are used in feeding stimulant products. I live in Virginia and have very little beetle problems and only see a few in traps. I feed pollen and sugar in late summer to keep the colonies strong going into winter, have had a great survival rate the past two winters.
great video and I loved listening to you. We have some problems with SHB in northeast Ohio but nothing like you described.
SHB is very bad here. Climates with a frost have their benefits!
I will let u know when My bee population goes up. From Puerto Rico.
Only 2 small maggots Australia wild hive transfer to apimay hive.
Maggots removed. They where only on the top of the most outer honey comb.
Thank you for your videos, and the simple explanations in plain language. What part of Pennsylvania are you from? I am also from PA. Funny how many don’t live there anymore.😂
Great info! Thanks!
With only a few beetles laying 1000 eggs, how can any beehive honey survive? (It seems like only 1 larva would destroy a frame.)
Well, you definitely don't want the beetles to be able to lay eggs in the hive. Ideally, they are contained in the crevices by the bees and escape only when you open the hive. When you start to see beetles walking around a frame, you should thoroughly check the frames for beetle larvae. Once beetle larva slime is present, the bees usually ignore that area, allowing it to spread.
I also put a small amount of apple cider vinegar in the oil, it attracts the bettles.
Interesting! Thanks for sharing.
You must have giant sized mesh in your bottom board or really tiny beetles. That 1st oil trap is good, but only fr beetles that are skipping the main entrance and investigating the weird area under the hive.
I've used the Beetle blaster, beetle jail and baited CD cases. My bees always propolize them shut, almost never a beetle inside.
I don't think I have either on my bottom boards. I purchased them from a beekeeping supply site. They can't be 3/8" or bigger or bees would be getting into them and I highly doubt hawaii has somehow bread a small hybrid beetle. I also used the baited CD cases and when it was really hot, the bait oozed out and poisoned a lot of bees. I'm not a fan of the beetle blasters but you can take a hive tool and push down on the top and squish all the beetles that are hiding under it if the beetles aren't going inside.
Do you reduce openings to avoid beetles?
No, I don't.
I tried to use Swiffer sheets, same kind you have here. One of my hives ignored it completely and no beetles got caught, and about a hundred bees got tangled in the other hive and died. I'm honestly baffled.
Interesting. I don't, actually, use swiffer sheets. I've been told you can use them how I use the brawny dine a max towels, but I, personally use the brawny towels. They're a lot cheaper because you can get them in bulk.
Would having gravel/river rock under the hive be better then ground with weed cloth over it?
Gravel makes a great ground cover under your hives. It won't prevent beetles, but makes for easier hive inspections. No matter what's on the ground, I would always put a beehive on something to elevate it at least a foot off the ground whether that's a hive stand, cinder blocks or palettes.
I add apple cider vinegar to the oil to attract the Beatles
would you consider elevating your hives off the ground,
I'm sure that would help but it is just so much work to do that to all the hives and I haven't encountered SHB larvae in a hive in years, so it's not a priority.
Would swifter pads in the pan work as well?
You want the beetles to drown in the oil pan and it works really well. The swiffer sheets only work if the bees chew it up and then the beetles get stuck it in when they walk over it. You could try putting chewed up swiffer sheets in the oil pan instead of oil and see how well it works but I would think its a waste of equipment.
@@BeekeepingMadeSimplelooking for the brawny dine-a-max towels. I'm obviously looking at the wrong stuff, for I can't imagine paying over $25.⁰⁰ for towels. Please provide a link to the correct brawny dine-a-max towels.
What about bee poo, is that brown wax?
If bees like to chase beetles up, why not have a place for them to go? I'll work on that some. A condo would give them a place to hide, so why not provide a meal while they stay at the Hotel California? Serving table sixty-two now. Put the stuff where it won't bleed out. 😊
Beetle blasters serve that purpose as well as the brawny towels under the lid. Some beetles walk on it and get stuck, but the bees also chase them under the towel. when I take the lid off, I slide my hive tool over the towel to crush any beetles underneath.
@BeekeepingMadeSimple Maybe you can fold the towel and put some sticky stuff between it? Just a thought. Surprised, no disposable trap is available.
Definitely the small hive beetle is a really bad pest i also live in Hawaii, big island I lost quite a few hives to small high beetle I've used beetle traps, oil pan screen bottom definitely the best to use, with oil used lime, as some beekeeper said lime works but I found out it doesn't work very well, haven't tried diatomaceous Earth to much as worried it might kill my bees tried once and it did kill my colony😥 so I don't like using it, have you tired the Guardian Bee Hive Entrance, suppose to keep hive beetles out.
I have not tried the guardian bee hive entrance. I haven't lost a hive to small hive beetle in a long time. I've found that it's incredibly important to have low varroa mite levels in your hive. A strong hive with few mites and viruses can deal with beetles just fine on their own. No trap will work as well as making sure you treat for varroa mites as often as is needed.
A few years ago we had a complete colony of bees. You should not Rob the complete colony, rather keep it with the other hives for its biodiversity.
A complete hive has the other bees. You will see a lot of them are an inch long. Bumble bees. The others will be in these hives.
Can anyone say ding bat clueless?
I’m in Pennsylvania you have no idea what you’re talking about small hive beetles are decimating hives here
Dadant hive . Oops
You should make sure to explain that diatomaceous earth is completely harmless to humans and most other animals but is hazardous to insects because it gets in there joints and grinds there joints so they can’t move, diatomaceous earth is completely harmless and is used in dieting for health reasons, and also for skin care.
Good point! I just added it to the video description. I was under the impression that DE is not good if inhaled and quite a bit of dust can come up when scooping it. I'm not a fan because of the mess it leaves in the grass and I'm not sure how effective it is when water and honey drip down into it. Do you have experience with DE? Have you found it to be just as effective if the DE gets wet?
no silica is deadly!!!!! it causes silicosis or brown lung! it act like asbestos and kills you with scar tissue!! Do not get people killed with your lack of info!!!
The warnings are on the product people!!!
Dont Die!!!
Do not be killin people on my comment!!!!!!! You are uninformed IE Ignorant!!!