I live in Australia with very similar conditions to Florida. My wining recipe for combatting SHB; - Raise hives to at least a 1 1/2f above the ground. - My first red hot top is to use corrugated iron roof sheeting on the ground with hive stands on top as this heats up like a hot plate during the day and all grubs that leave the hive fall onto the sheeting and cook. Ants clean up the mess. It touches on the understanding of the biology and life cycle of SHB to short circuit that part of the cycle by killing larva. - use vented bottom boards to allow air flow and grubs to fall straight out onto the iron sheeting. - reduce entrances to at least a third of total opening (easier for bees to guard). - understand that in about 20 days from heavy rain in a hot climate, beetles will be pupating from the ground. So complete final checks well before this date. - place hives to receive morning to midday sun to heat the hive. I think the heat may also be a trigger for them to leave and find ground to start pupating except they find a hot roof sheet. - Protect hives from late afternoon sun. - I use Caucasian bees who are especially good at propolising everything and are especially quick at corralling SHB into their own pre-made gummed up traps against the interior walls of the hives. - limit inspections (removing frames from the brood box) as this breaks their traps and releases the beetle back into the colony. - I only I use ‘CHUX’ branded cloths which are similar to your ‘swifer’ cloths but come on a large roll. I use this method on small or weak hives that may need a little more help. They are placed on the corners of the top box but they will catch the feet of some bees also. Replace regularly. - and my chickens have free range to eat anything around the hives. 😂 I hope some of this may help someone. Good luck from an Australian Bee keeper
@@pattyhendrick2969 I raise the hives first to prevent other insects having easy access to the hive e and secondly so the sun has full exposure on all of the tin directly underneath the hive. As I have vented bottom boards the grubs fall out of the comb and through these slots down onto the hot tin. They try to wriggle off the tin but they die pretty quickly when it’s over 30 degrees Celsius. There will be some radiant heat which rises up through the hive but the wind takes that away. 1’ to a 1 1/2’ is a good workable height for me also. No bending over.
Another Aussie here , Qld. I agree with all of your suggested SHB counter measures . Also I believe in keeping colonies "tight " , don't add supers prematurely and reduce the size of your entrances. I am trying a bottom entrance, vertical, but have not come to any definite conclusions on its effectiveness so far.
Thanks for spending time on SHB in the video - you may not fight them in the mountains, but down in the 'flat lands' they truly are a pest. Last year I lost the battle with several hives. This year I put down pool salt around the hives and it seems to have cut down the populations significantly. I still have them, but nothing like previous years.
Great video. This is a lot of good information. As a Master Beekeeper I keep trying different ways to control SHB, I found that I have been able to greatly reduce shb problems by using Grub-X in my bee yards. I sprinkle it under the hives and about 10 feet around them. Follow the instructions on the bag. I have been doing this for two years now and I see very few hive beetles now. I have used the swiffer sheets and they worked well. You still have to take care of week colonies since SHB is a secondary pest. Use all the tools you have. Traps, swiffer sheets, nematodes, etc. See what works best in your area.
Same here. I don’t like using chemicals in my bee yards if I can avoid it but I dislike hive beetles much more. As long as grub-x keeps working, I’ll keep using it
Bob your videos are great tools for all beekeepers. I live in Bloomington Indiana, when our hives have lime dust or what we call fill dust under the stands our hive beetles are close to none. Plus the way we treat for mites also kills them, with heat treatment.
Great video and information, Bob. Thanks for having Tim share these tips. I place a piece of galvanized metal roofing/siding in front of the hives. It gets pretty hot in the sun, and the larvae can't get off of it fast enough to survive. (Unless it's a cloudy day).
Great video. Especially the part where he said " bees chasing beetles are not doing their job" cleaning, guarding, getting pollen and necter. So be proactive, early.
Good discussion. Those little boogers are really aggravating. A strong colony with little unattended comb in direct sun is a good start. Thanks for sharing.
This is a very good idea, hope to hear how it turns out. Our chickens free range in the bee yard which has kept the hive beetle population to a minimum. I still find between 5 - 10 beetles under the lid with bees corralling them, the good news is that we have not lost any hives to the beetles in three years. Thanks for another great video.
I’ve heard beekeepers discuss this years ago. Also about fifteen years ago I accidentally left a feed bucket by the hives. Local kids ( I imagine they were kids) shot the bucket with pellet guns. The syrup fermented. Later I finally decided to move the bucket. Inside was a thick layer of hive beetles. A lot of ways to trap them, but actually doing it is another topic
Great video, wonderful explanation. I saw something similar in a top-bar hive many years ago. Didn't seem to help because the hive was located poorly (heavy shaded area). Beetles flourished.
If I could share my picture from 2 weeks ago I would. I lost a hive that looked totally fine to me the week prior. Opened it up the following week and the feeder was full of dead bees and thousands of hive beetle larvae everywhere. It was a sad sight. As far as the video goes this is a fantastic idea!
Good info! We completely eliminated an infestation at one of our apiaries this year by using grub control granules beneath and up to a 30' circumference from the hives. Our hives are all elevated from the ground by either 1' or 3' depending on the benches used. Breaking the reproductive cycle in such a drastic manner makes sense. After we started doing this we saw others posting research showing similar results. Yes, this is only another part of a total IPM program, but it is an important one. We have seen ZERO effect on the bees from the grub control. We also employ swiffer sheets, beetle blasters filled 1/3 with DE instead of oil, West screened bottom boards again using DE mixed with agricultural lime instead of messy oils. We have one apiary that just needs to be relocated due to too much shade and leaf litter which has not given the same result using grub control. We have one hive in a remote location that is unique to our operation in that it sits very close to the ground, uses a solid bottom board year round, yet is extremely strong enabling them to control SHB to about 20 adults observed at each inspection. This site is also a bit too shady, but there's not anything more open on that property. We hesitate to do anything more to it because of its strength and copious amounts of top quality, 100% wildflower honey.
Strength and space management….thats my main defense. Even did a video on it. A fella in Picayune, Ms came up with a similar concept years ago with using a bait pill bottle that was mounted in the 3/4 inch lip of the bottom board. He used #8 hardware cloth over the hole and the pill bottle was easily removed and cleaned and re-baited from the side. Worked ok for the most part. Good video. Shade has dark and moist soil, direct sun has less fertile and more dry soil. I say that because Jamie Ellis claims that direct sun doesn’t actually repel the beetles in the box. So if that’s so, then to me, the biology of the beetle and their reproduction points to the soil being the issue because we know down here in Louisiana direct sunlight shows us way less beetles, if any, but….the soils down here in direct sunlight is like concrete. Our darker shaded soils under hives produce great numbers of beetles. Just my personal observations. We’re deep into beetles down here….
I have darker colored metal roofing sheets under my hives and have little trouble at all with beetles here in WV. I use screened bottom boards and I think the larvae drop thru and the die on the metal because it tends to be hot.
HA BOB this was great I have the jails the swifter sheets grub x in the ground I am in Virginia they are bad here i like the video about the hole in the bottom board with the jar is a cool idea, God Bless you have a great week
In my traps I use cheap beer with the oil based on a study I learned about by watching one of Fred's videos. I also use a screened bottom board and cover the bottom with a coating of diatomaceous earth to take care of any larva to prevent them from getting to the ground.
Great information Bob, I also know that hive beetles can smell a demoralized hive, I.e. overrun with mites and they zoom in on it. They can also fly 25 feet to get to a colony. I always tell my mentees to place an asphalt shingle under the colony to keep it from pupating larva. Of course, like the man said , a strong colony is your best defense against hive beetle and wax moths. Antoine, HCBA🐝😊
Thanks for the idea. It looks like it would work great as the bettles run from the bees, 2 days ago i had a bettle barn jacked up in the air on my bottom board, upon inspection i would say their was 50 to 75 bettles hiding under it, i snashed as many as possible. i just need a way to make this idea usable on my hive stand.
Great new tool to combat SHBs. I found when using a screened inner cover on my hives during summer the beetles would come through the screen to get away from the bees. I placed my beetle sheets and baited traps on top of the screen and killed hundreds of beetles. I no longer have a beetle problem after using this method.
I have used. Canning jars- make screen lid then seat ring with jar into hole. Can then remove jar over and over. Agree with other comment to paint jar black. Great information.
I treated around my hive stands with GrubEx this year. The larvae don’t know it is there and won’t crawl away to avoid it. I think it has worked well. My biggest hive beetle problem is bees drowning in the frame feeders and hive beetle larvae showing up in the bee syrup soup. I think that I have that figured out now. I was using Motherlode feeders with the tops and integrated ladders. I got rid of those and accordion folded 1/8th hardware mesh. Making a ladder for the whole length of the feeder. No dead bees now. I think the narrow ladder of the feeder top caused the bees to trample each other into the syrup and drown. Wider access means less trampling and drowning.
I'm currently trying "murder sauce" recipe (it's here on RUclips) with great success!! My pest management was working until a serious of storms bringing significant rain. Local beekeepers in my area started mentioning SHB investigations. I too saw large numbers until I applied the sauce. Worked like a charm. I'd love a university to check into it; and to be able to explain the processes involved!
Hey Bob i have been testing Beetle Grease in my hives here in Florida and getting great results! I have a Video on how to make it and it seems to be the easiest tool in my box to use! Mites & Beetles Gone!😁
I just watched a video from Mike Barry and he uses diatomaceous earth in his traps with great results. It was easier to clean his traps out instead of having to deal with oil.
Some thoughts Bob. So the larva, attracted to the fresh or combination of dirt in the air? Maybe an experiment closing the front entrance to 3/8 x /3/4. Put the bottle in the back, but plastic. Throw some dirt in the bottom, cut some holes in the sides and mesh. Don't really have a beetle problem here in Pittsburgh to run. I see 3 and it's swifer sheets!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. SHBs can overwhelm a colony and it is very ugly when they do. I like this approach. I'm in Missouri and I use a screened bottom boards with ribbed trays underneath filled with DME. I also freeze frames that have a lot of SHB activity on them. It definitely helps, but I think I will try your method on a colony to see how it works. I've never had any luck with beetle jails or blasters. The SHBs always seem to hang out under them and often as they get caught in them. I have heard that SHBs smell stress in a colony and target those, which may explain that they are often prevalent during and after a dearth. Thanks again guys.
Great idea.👍It's fine to mulch around their hives as long as they mulch is treated. I guess there are a few benefits to keeping bees in the Northern regions, we have fewer of these pest issue. I Love my shade, I just have to watch out for wax moths.
I never tried it but I read about this in a forum 6-8 years ago. Whatever the time frame was when the AJ traps came out. Instead of the solid lid with holes they were placing the threaded lid ring up from the bottom and covering the hole saw area on the bottom board with the correct size screen. Tim, have you tried screen wire? Nice to see Tim is working on and perfecting this. Thanks Tim..
I tried screen initially but wound up going with the lid because I found that the beetles couldn't navigate the holes, back into the hive like they were doing with screen. The holes I drilled have a lip around them and the beetles don't navigate this well. I also wanted to be able to put a "blank" in the hole to keep out critters when the jar wasn't in position. Thx for the encouragement!
@@drliptak1 grease like on the jar you are using would not keep them down? A lot more surface area with screen for them to fall in. Maybe double sided tape around inside of the jar with thick grease. That gives a lip and grease. Yea, I know test it myself😂 As far as sealing hole you use a two piece jar lid and add the lid inside the rim and screw the jar on. Jar stays in place, hole sealed and ready to use.
I am a beekeeper from South Africa This is where the small hive beetle originated from Most important is correct bee space with in the hive. With incorrect beespace, there will be areas where the beetles can lay eggs within the hive. The second most important is to ensure that any pollen patty will be consumed with in a week Beetles will lay eggs in the pollen patty Eggs take a week to hatch.
Surprising ants (here in Jamaica we call them biting ants, they are the smaller black ants) is a beneficial pest that kills wax moth and hive beetle larvae. I have left comb with Bettle larvae and moth larvae, and the ants actually infest the frames and kill and clean up the residual food. I have a couple ants' nest in my apiary so I store my supers and brood frames on a stand directly over the nest.
Hello Bob, it's interesting seeing all the different ways people come up with to combat pests. Here in Australia we have big outbreaks of SHB. Most people use a fluted cardboard of some kind and inject fiprinol or coakroach bait into it. It's cheap but time consuming. I use the registered trap called Apithor sold by Ensystex. It has a plastic case with 2 slots in each end and the impregnated cardboard inside it. We put them against the side wall of every brood box and they last 12 months. The cost is approx $5 a trap. They work extremely well and only require once a year replacement. Is Fiprinol approved for use in your area or not? Just curious to know why no one has used it over there?
Fipronil use is restricted in beehives by the EPA here in the States. It is classified as a group C carcinogen here. No judgement here on its use in Australia.
works great iv been doing this for yrs I would like to add that I paint my jars black because my hygienic bees will fill the jar with trash hope this helps
Hey Bob Albee here tidbit of info on the bettleblaster I notice with your Caucasian bees they are bad to seal over the holes I use the end of my hive tool to punch them out and verse’s throwing the unit away at the end of our season we take a 5 gallon bucket of boiling water with dawn dish detergent and soak them out good for another season we. use top rubber under our hives also it’s white and doesn’t create extra heat in the summer cut our bettles by half
I had a beehive on a metal table under a tree and on a grassy area and always had hive beetles, I build a fenced in apiary but removed all the grass in the area, lay weed blocking sheets and covered it with one inch size rocks for drainage and the beetle problem went away! I use the jail traps and only get maybe 2 beetles a month.
Hi Bob love you’re you tube channel.I’m a Australian beekeeper in Sub tropics and l use core flute cut into squares then slice 1/2 way through and open it up,squeeze cockroach gel inside and sticky tape up and put in corners of hive. Again great channel learning a lot about varroa mite and different techniques 🤙
Excellent point about lost productivity. A strong colony can deal with beetles, but I know first hand that it costs honey production if conditions (ie. Too much shade) make it so the beetle population in a colony is high. Hope Bob considers offering his bottom boards with these holes bored in them.
Hello, I am a professional beekeeper in France. I worked in the DRC to develop techniques with local beekeepers. The bee is the Adansonii and lives with the small beetle. When there are too many of them, they desert the hive, a way of protecting themselves from the damage caused by this predator. But I have proof (video) that the beetle migrates with the swarm, so it is true!
I have read that A. m. adansonii is extremely defensive..even more so than scutellata. In your experience, is this true? I would love to see that video.
Great video Bob very uncanny you posted as I was watching Jamie Ellis video on same subject from 9 years ago at national hunny show . Cheers Dan from Aussie land 🍻
Paint the inner lids with Neverwet? Jeff Willard did some interesting research (video of the critters) with it. For some reason hive beetles don't seem to be able to walk on it.
We have them bad on Kauai. All of the mango and other fruit create large populations regardless of bees. My hives will contain a thousand even with swifter sheets and beetle blasters. When I built my workshop I plan on trying a few design for trapping the SHB so I will let you know of my results. Aloha!
The jar idea looks like it would work great for stationary hives but what I did notice was the lid of the jar was not flush with the floor of the bottom board so it was a little lower and the beetles were on the edge of the lid so I say drill your holes closer to the edge of the lid and possibly try and put. The hole in it with maybe a punch so you will have a funnel effect with them going into it. I’m migratory so it wouldn’t work well for me my swinger would break them all off when moving and I get rattle snakes under my pallets all the time also maybe for my cell yard though
I found that the jar being lower actually moved the SHB to the lid. They try to escape the bees by dropping down in that area (they also hide in it on a migratory cover).
I have been using peppermint candy for 2 years and it is working great for me in Summertown,TN.But One of my hives is down by a river and a lot of shade,they where covered in bettles, I had to move them to dryer area and more sun light..
Good information. One question about the Swiffer sheets -- I think you said you used sheets that were used up or something? Or can I use them right out of the box? (Brand new?). I'd like to hear more about this.
On the swiffer type sheets, I have a beekeeper friend using used dryer sheets and catching a lot of shb. Of course the sheets are/were scented and we hear use unscented but they are trapping plenty shb. Is it more than unscented we have not done a comparison and she is repurposing the sheets. My theory is instead of having to wait for the bees to pull /fluff the sheet the dryer has already done this in advance.
I love listening to Bob Benny's videos in the car while I run errands. But when it goes silent and I see words on the screen I have to stop and switch to Kamon Reynolds or David Burns who just keep talking, and explain any words they're showing on their video. I'd love a little voice over your text, Bob!
Interesting video , not sure if you can get in USA ,I have put what is called a Guardian hive entrance on all my hives, in the last 2 years only had 2 hives destroyed by hive beetle, the entrance is made up of 2 pieces of plastic with a series of holes at the front , evidently a hive beetle cannot hover, falls through the holes cannot get in . Peter Australia 🇦🇺
Peter, I have tried the Guardian with mixed results. I found it was knocking the pollen off the foragers legs when they returned to the hive. You as well Peter?
So the cup hangs out the bottom of the exterior portion of the hive? Bob, I really wish your company would make purchasing from a lot easier, I live in Florida and would 100% rather order from you than Amazon & Mannlake. Mannlake shipping isn’t reliable, more so their wood doesn’t hold a candle to your stuff! Thanks! I want to order a bunch of bottom boards…. Thank You!
I live on the gulf coast, I seem to raise shb better than bees. I found swifer sheets work the best for me. I use grubex on ground. Has anyone had any success with peppermint candy or oil. It doesn't seem to work for me.
they like black place ，i on China, they like raining 35℃+ they no eggs in hive, this year I first time sees this my friends say in next city in 2012 have this i feed pollen can see in top eat pollen and egg , they not like sunning day, my friends in soth see them and move in north them gone
During the day I learn from you bob, thank you. Sometimes at night i put you on to help me sleep, you have such a calm soothing voice.
I live in Australia with very similar conditions to Florida. My wining recipe for combatting SHB;
- Raise hives to at least a 1 1/2f above the ground.
- My first red hot top is to use corrugated iron roof sheeting on the ground with hive stands on top as this heats up like a hot plate during the day and all grubs that leave the hive fall onto the sheeting and cook. Ants clean up the mess. It touches on the understanding of the biology and life cycle of SHB to short circuit that part of the cycle by killing larva.
- use vented bottom boards to allow air flow and grubs to fall straight out onto the iron sheeting.
- reduce entrances to at least a third of total opening (easier for bees to guard).
- understand that in about 20 days from heavy rain in a hot climate, beetles will be pupating from the ground. So complete final checks well before this date.
- place hives to receive morning to midday sun to heat the hive. I think the heat may also be a trigger for them to leave and find ground to start pupating except they find a hot roof sheet.
- Protect hives from late afternoon sun.
- I use Caucasian bees who are especially good at propolising everything and are especially quick at corralling SHB into their own pre-made gummed up traps against the interior walls of the hives.
- limit inspections (removing frames from the brood box) as this breaks their traps and releases the beetle back into the colony.
- I only I use ‘CHUX’ branded cloths which are similar to your ‘swifer’ cloths but come on a large roll. I use this method on small or weak hives that may need a little more help. They are placed on the corners of the top box but they will catch the feet of some bees also. Replace regularly.
- and my chickens have free range to eat anything around the hives. 😂
I hope some of this may help someone.
Good luck from an Australian Bee keeper
Does the heat from the tin cause the hive boxes to get warmer or is that why you recommend the boxes be higher from the ground?
@@pattyhendrick2969 I raise the hives first to prevent other insects having easy access to the hive e and secondly so the sun has full exposure on all of the tin directly underneath the hive. As I have vented bottom boards the grubs fall out of the comb and through these slots down onto the hot tin. They try to wriggle off the tin but they die pretty quickly when it’s over 30 degrees Celsius.
There will be some radiant heat which rises up through the hive but the wind takes that away. 1’ to a 1 1/2’ is a good workable height for me also. No bending over.
Another Aussie here , Qld. I agree with all of your suggested SHB counter measures . Also I believe in keeping colonies "tight " , don't add supers prematurely and reduce the size of your entrances.
I am trying a bottom entrance, vertical, but have not come to any definite conclusions on its effectiveness so far.
Thanks for spending time on SHB in the video - you may not fight them in the mountains, but down in the 'flat lands' they truly are a pest. Last year I lost the battle with several hives. This year I put down pool salt around the hives and it seems to have cut down the populations significantly. I still have them, but nothing like previous years.
Great video. This is a lot of good information. As a Master Beekeeper I keep trying different ways to control SHB, I found that I have been able to greatly reduce shb problems by using Grub-X in my bee yards. I sprinkle it under the hives and about 10 feet around them. Follow the instructions on the bag. I have been doing this for two years now and I see very few hive beetles now. I have used the swiffer sheets and they worked well. You still have to take care of week colonies since SHB is a secondary pest. Use all the tools you have. Traps, swiffer sheets, nematodes, etc. See what works best in your area.
Same here. I don’t like using chemicals in my bee yards if I can avoid it but I dislike hive beetles much more. As long as grub-x keeps working, I’ll keep using it
The problem with swifter sheets they also catch queens!!
Never caught one since the sheet is up top…
They are currently testing grub x for in colony use… isn’t it Lewis Bartlett doing the testing?
Bob your videos are great tools for all beekeepers. I live in Bloomington Indiana, when our hives have lime dust or what we call fill dust under the stands our hive beetles are close to none. Plus the way we treat for mites also kills them, with heat treatment.
Thank you bob for being a conduit of ideas and knowledge to the beekeeping industry
Great video and information, Bob. Thanks for having Tim share these tips. I place a piece of galvanized metal roofing/siding in front of the hives. It gets pretty hot in the sun, and the larvae can't get off of it fast enough to survive. (Unless it's a cloudy day).
Smart idea! Thanks for posting Bob. Thank you Tim for sharing your ideas and experience! 👍
Great video. Especially the part where he said " bees chasing beetles are not doing their job" cleaning, guarding, getting pollen and necter. So be proactive, early.
Good discussion. Those little boogers are really aggravating. A strong colony with little unattended comb in direct sun is a good start. Thanks for sharing.
This is a very good idea, hope to hear how it turns out. Our chickens free range in the bee yard which has kept the hive beetle population to a minimum. I still find between 5 - 10 beetles under the lid with bees corralling them, the good news is that we have not lost any hives to the beetles in three years. Thanks for another great video.
I don’t have small hive Beatles in northern Utah thankfully but still love watching! Good information!
So simple yet genius. Great idea!
I’ve heard beekeepers discuss this years ago.
Also about fifteen years ago I accidentally left a feed bucket by the hives. Local kids ( I imagine they were kids) shot the bucket with pellet guns. The syrup fermented. Later I finally decided to move the bucket. Inside was a thick layer of hive beetles.
A lot of ways to trap them, but actually doing it is another topic
Yes, this isn't a new concept. I too have heard about it several years ago. Great to see it in practice though.
Great video Bob. Great job Tim. Bees are still going strong. Have them on doubles with super on each. Plan on splitting early March.
Great video, wonderful explanation. I saw something similar in a top-bar hive many years ago. Didn't seem to help because the hive was located poorly (heavy shaded area). Beetles flourished.
Good info. Nice to see you in Bobs video again Tim. We met at the Bee Expo.
Liptak's make the best beekeepers. Whats the chance that there would be another Liptak at NAHBE???
Lankford Partin was doing this in 2014. He lives in Jasper, Tn, and is a Tennessee state bee inspector
This is actually pretty genius ask someone who is in South Carolina struggling with Beetles
If I could share my picture from 2 weeks ago I would. I lost a hive that looked totally fine to me the week prior. Opened it up the following week and the feeder was full of dead bees and thousands of hive beetle larvae everywhere. It was a sad sight.
As far as the video goes this is a fantastic idea!
Good morning .Thank you for the information, Bob. I find them this year a real problem in weaker hives.
Good info! We completely eliminated an infestation at one of our apiaries this year by using grub control granules beneath and up to a 30' circumference from the hives. Our hives are all elevated from the ground by either 1' or 3' depending on the benches used. Breaking the reproductive cycle in such a drastic manner makes sense. After we started doing this we saw others posting research showing similar results. Yes, this is only another part of a total IPM program, but it is an important one. We have seen ZERO effect on the bees from the grub control. We also employ swiffer sheets, beetle blasters filled 1/3 with DE instead of oil, West screened bottom boards again using DE mixed with agricultural lime instead of messy oils. We have one apiary that just needs to be relocated due to too much shade and leaf litter which has not given the same result using grub control. We have one hive in a remote location that is unique to our operation in that it sits very close to the ground, uses a solid bottom board year round, yet is extremely strong enabling them to control SHB to about 20 adults observed at each inspection. This site is also a bit too shady, but there's not anything more open on that property. We hesitate to do anything more to it because of its strength and copious amounts of top quality, 100% wildflower honey.
Strength and space management….thats my main defense. Even did a video on it. A fella in Picayune, Ms came up with a similar concept years ago with using a bait pill bottle that was mounted in the 3/4 inch lip of the bottom board. He used #8 hardware cloth over the hole and the pill bottle was easily removed and cleaned and re-baited from the side. Worked ok for the most part. Good video. Shade has dark and moist soil, direct sun has less fertile and more dry soil. I say that because Jamie Ellis claims that direct sun doesn’t actually repel the beetles in the box. So if that’s so, then to me, the biology of the beetle and their reproduction points to the soil being the issue because we know down here in Louisiana direct sunlight shows us way less beetles, if any, but….the soils down here in direct sunlight is like concrete. Our darker shaded soils under hives produce great numbers of beetles. Just my personal observations. We’re deep into beetles down here….
I am a big fan of direct sun. My bees seem way healthier in the sun. Next time I lecture I am using your "strength and space" quote. Thx pal
My biggest advise is, don't wait until you have a shb problem. Start early in the year, say January, then check once a week. I do like swiffer sheets
Thanks for the advice . I definitely will be installing these “ drop in “ traps . I have some 8 ounce plastic jars with lids that I will be using . 👍😊
This is a great idea! I would be interested to see if you can modify a screened bottom board to accept a trap like this.
I have darker colored metal roofing sheets under my hives and have little trouble at all with beetles here in WV. I use screened bottom boards and I think the larvae drop thru and the die on the metal because it tends to be hot.
HA BOB this was great I have the jails the swifter sheets grub x in the ground I am in Virginia they are bad here i like the video about the hole in the bottom board with the jar is a cool idea, God Bless you have a great week
In my traps I use cheap beer with the oil based on a study I learned about by watching one of Fred's videos. I also use a screened bottom board and cover the bottom with a coating of diatomaceous earth to take care of any larva to prevent them from getting to the ground.
Great information Bob, I also know that hive beetles can smell a demoralized hive, I.e. overrun with mites and they zoom in on it. They can also fly 25 feet to get to a colony. I always tell my mentees to place an asphalt shingle under the colony to keep it from pupating larva. Of course, like the man said , a strong colony is your best defense against hive beetle and wax moths. Antoine, HCBA🐝😊
read somewear they can also fly with swarms
Thanks Guys. I’m in Canada so I don’t have any here yet but…. Great info!
Thanks for the idea. It looks like it would work great as the bettles run from the bees, 2 days ago i had a bettle barn jacked up in the air on my bottom board, upon inspection i would say their was 50 to 75 bettles hiding under it, i snashed as many as possible. i just need a way to make this idea usable on my hive stand.
Great new tool to combat SHBs. I found when using a screened inner cover on my hives during summer the beetles would come through the screen to get away from the bees. I placed my beetle sheets and baited traps on top of the screen and killed hundreds of beetles. I no longer have a beetle problem after using this method.
I have used. Canning jars- make screen lid then seat ring with jar into hole. Can then remove jar over and over. Agree with other comment to paint jar black. Great information.
Painting the jar black or white made no difference in my apiaries.
I treated around my hive stands with GrubEx this year. The larvae don’t know it is there and won’t crawl away to avoid it. I think it has worked well. My biggest hive beetle problem is bees drowning in the frame feeders and hive beetle larvae showing up in the bee syrup soup. I think that I have that figured out now. I was using Motherlode feeders with the tops and integrated ladders. I got rid of those and accordion folded 1/8th hardware mesh. Making a ladder for the whole length of the feeder. No dead bees now. I think the narrow ladder of the feeder top caused the bees to trample each other into the syrup and drown. Wider access means less trampling and drowning.
I'm currently trying "murder sauce" recipe (it's here on RUclips) with great success!!
My pest management was working until a serious of storms bringing significant rain. Local beekeepers in my area started mentioning SHB investigations. I too saw large numbers until I applied the sauce. Worked like a charm.
I'd love a university to check into it; and to be able to explain the processes involved!
Hey Bob i have been testing Beetle Grease in my hives here in Florida and getting great results! I have a Video on how to make it and it seems to be the easiest tool in my box to use! Mites & Beetles Gone!😁
I've got the grease in my hives also. Couldn't wait any longer for your results. Seems a good tool for me
I just watched a video from Mike Barry and he uses diatomaceous earth in his traps with great results. It was easier to clean his traps out instead of having to deal with oil.
Good morning Bob and BRHC.
Good morning.
Some thoughts Bob. So the larva, attracted to the fresh or combination of dirt in the air? Maybe an experiment closing the front entrance to 3/8 x /3/4. Put the bottle in the back, but plastic. Throw some dirt in the bottom, cut some holes in the sides and mesh. Don't really have a beetle problem here in Pittsburgh to run. I see 3 and it's swifer sheets!
amazing I could smell this when the opening image came up.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. SHBs can overwhelm a colony and it is very ugly when they do. I like this approach.
I'm in Missouri and I use a screened bottom boards with ribbed trays underneath filled with DME. I also freeze frames that have a lot of SHB activity on them. It definitely helps, but I think I will try your method on a colony to see how it works.
I've never had any luck with beetle jails or blasters. The SHBs always seem to hang out under them and often as they get caught in them.
I have heard that SHBs smell stress in a colony and target those, which may explain that they are often prevalent during and after a dearth.
Thanks again guys.
Great idea.👍It's fine to mulch around their hives as long as they mulch is treated.
I guess there are a few benefits to keeping bees in the Northern regions, we have fewer of these pest issue.
I Love my shade, I just have to watch out for wax moths.
I never tried it but I read about this in a forum 6-8 years ago. Whatever the time frame was when the AJ traps came out. Instead of the solid lid with holes they were placing the threaded lid ring up from the bottom and covering the hole saw area on the bottom board with the correct size screen. Tim, have you tried screen wire? Nice to see Tim is working on and perfecting this. Thanks Tim..
I tried screen initially but wound up going with the lid because I found that the beetles couldn't navigate the holes, back into the hive like they were doing with screen. The holes I drilled have a lip around them and the beetles don't navigate this well. I also wanted to be able to put a "blank" in the hole to keep out critters when the jar wasn't in position.
Thx for the encouragement!
@@drliptak1 grease like on the jar you are using would not keep them down? A lot more surface area with screen for them to fall in. Maybe double sided tape around inside of the jar with thick grease. That gives a lip and grease.
Yea, I know test it myself😂
As far as sealing hole you use a two piece jar lid and add the lid inside the rim and screw the jar on. Jar stays in place, hole sealed and ready to use.
I use organic cinnamon on the inner cover,I also put it around the base of their stand ,no SHB it works great!
I am a beekeeper from South Africa
This is where the small hive beetle originated from
Most important is correct bee space with in the hive. With incorrect beespace, there will be areas where the beetles can lay eggs within the hive.
The second most important is to ensure that any pollen patty will be consumed with in a week
Beetles will lay eggs in the pollen patty
Eggs take a week to hatch.
So true. Little things like respecting beespace is so important.
Surprising ants (here in Jamaica we call them biting ants, they are the smaller black ants) is a beneficial pest that kills wax moth and hive beetle larvae. I have left comb with Bettle larvae and moth larvae, and the ants actually infest the frames and kill and clean up the residual food.
I have a couple ants' nest in my apiary so I store my supers and brood frames on a stand directly over the nest.
Hello Bob, it's interesting seeing all the different ways people come up with to combat pests. Here in Australia we have big outbreaks of SHB. Most people use a fluted cardboard of some kind and inject fiprinol or coakroach bait into it. It's cheap but time consuming. I use the registered trap called Apithor sold by Ensystex. It has a plastic case with 2 slots in each end and the impregnated cardboard inside it. We put them against the side wall of every brood box and they last 12 months. The cost is approx $5 a trap. They work extremely well and only require once a year replacement. Is Fiprinol approved for use in your area or not? Just curious to know why no one has used it over there?
Fipronil use is restricted in beehives by the EPA here in the States. It is classified as a group C carcinogen here. No judgement here on its use in Australia.
works great iv been doing this for yrs I would like to add that I paint my jars black because my hygienic bees will fill the jar with trash hope this helps
Just like he said, I took off supers, etc. that the bees couldn’t patrol and also used beetle jails
Hey Bob Albee here tidbit of info on the bettleblaster I notice with your Caucasian bees they are bad to seal over the holes I use the end of my hive tool to punch them out and verse’s throwing the unit away at the end of our season we take a 5 gallon bucket of boiling water with dawn dish detergent and soak them out good for another season we. use top rubber under our hives also it’s white and doesn’t create extra heat in the summer cut our bettles by half
I had a beehive on a metal table under a tree and on a grassy area and always had hive beetles, I build a fenced in apiary but removed all the grass in the area, lay weed blocking sheets and covered it with one inch size rocks for drainage and the beetle problem went away! I use the jail traps and only get maybe 2 beetles a month.
I seen little bits honeybees use this method several years ago
I’ve done that putting hardware cloth on top for lid
Great video
Good Morning Bob !
Good morning sir!
Hi Bob love you’re you tube channel.I’m a Australian beekeeper in Sub tropics and l use core flute cut into squares then slice 1/2 way through and open it up,squeeze cockroach gel inside and sticky tape up and put in corners of hive. Again great channel learning a lot about varroa mite and different techniques 🤙
Excellent point about lost productivity. A strong colony can deal with beetles, but I know first hand that it costs honey production if conditions (ie. Too much shade) make it so the beetle population in a colony is high. Hope Bob considers offering his bottom boards with these holes bored in them.
Starting production this week. Should have them in a couple of weeks.
Hello, I am a professional beekeeper in France. I worked in the DRC to develop techniques with local beekeepers. The bee is the Adansonii and lives with the small beetle. When there are too many of them, they desert the hive, a way of protecting themselves from the damage caused by this predator.
But I have proof (video) that the beetle migrates with the swarm, so it is true!
I have read that A. m. adansonii is extremely defensive..even more so than scutellata. In your experience, is this true? I would love to see that video.
Great video Bob very uncanny you posted as I was watching Jamie Ellis video on same subject from 9 years ago at national hunny show .
Cheers Dan from Aussie land 🍻
Cheers!
Paint the inner lids with Neverwet? Jeff Willard did some interesting research (video of the critters) with it. For some reason hive beetles don't seem to be able to walk on it.
We have them bad on Kauai. All of the mango and other fruit create large populations regardless of bees. My hives will contain a thousand even with swifter sheets and beetle blasters. When I built my workshop I plan on trying a few design for trapping the SHB so I will let you know of my results. Aloha!
Thanks king Bob
Bob, what's a good way to get a wild hive that's in a hollow log, to move into a standard Langstroth beehive?
The jar idea looks like it would work great for stationary hives but what I did notice was the lid of the jar was not flush with the floor of the bottom board so it was a little lower and the beetles were on the edge of the lid so I say drill your holes closer to the edge of the lid and possibly try and put. The hole in it with maybe a punch so you will have a funnel effect with them going into it. I’m migratory so it wouldn’t work well for me my swinger would break them all off when moving and I get rattle snakes under my pallets all the time also maybe for my cell yard though
I found that the jar being lower actually moved the SHB to the lid. They try to escape the bees by dropping down in that area (they also hide in it on a migratory cover).
I have been using peppermint candy for 2 years and it is working great for me in Summertown,TN.But One of my hives is down by a river and a lot of shade,they where covered in bettles, I had to move them to dryer area and more sun light..
Hola Bob unos genios muy importante 👏👏👏👍🐝🐝🐝
Good information. One question about the Swiffer sheets -- I think you said you used sheets that were used up or something? Or can I use them right out of the box? (Brand new?). I'd like to hear more about this.
They can be used right out of the box but avoid scented versions.
@@bobbinnie9872 Thank you
I have done removals on floor 11 of a high rise building. SHB were there, no prob going up 100 feet straight up.
We do the same idea we don't use lid we staple hardware cloth. 1x8 beetles go thru
Luckily, I don't have shb in my area, but that looks like a great way to mitigate them. He should promote that idea and sell kits.
We'll have them in our store in a few weeks.
simple great idea
Hey I saw that same story .about the larva..they will crawl up to 1 km to find dirt
Awesome, my BIGGEST problem in st augustine Florida , horrible this year !
I’m waiting for someone to mention the beetle buster bottom board haha.
I have heard a lot of people having good results with using grub-x around their hives. What are your thoughts on that?
I'm sure that would help. I have a friend in North Carolina that had a bad infestation and he cured it by simply treating the ground around his bees.
On the swiffer type sheets, I have a beekeeper friend using used dryer sheets and catching a lot of shb. Of course the sheets are/were scented and we hear use unscented but they are trapping plenty shb. Is it more than unscented we have not done a comparison and she is repurposing the sheets. My theory is instead of having to wait for the bees to pull /fluff the sheet the dryer has already done this in advance.
Dixie sheets and beetle be gone sheets work along with gard star ground drench and beetle grease for me in S.C.
If you had the ability to overwinter your bees on strawberry’s and willow would you? Also what are the risks with straw pol
I love listening to Bob Benny's videos in the car while I run errands. But when it goes silent and I see words on the screen I have to stop and switch to Kamon Reynolds or David Burns who just keep talking, and explain any words they're showing on their video. I'd love a little voice over your text, Bob!
I lime under my hives but not sure if it helps
I think it does.
Interesting video , not sure if you can get in USA ,I have put what is called a Guardian hive entrance on all my hives, in the last 2 years only had 2 hives destroyed by hive beetle, the entrance is made up of 2 pieces of plastic with a series of holes at the front , evidently a hive beetle cannot hover, falls through the holes cannot get in . Peter Australia 🇦🇺
Peter, I have tried the Guardian with mixed results. I found it was knocking the pollen off the foragers legs when they returned to the hive. You as well Peter?
@@drliptak1 interesting have not had the problem at all , and nothing at all with wax moth .
I remember the first time I had this happen years ago. It’s such a disgusting and aggravating feeling.
Thanks Mr Bob. Ruined my breakfast but i can stand to lose a few pounds
😊
So the cup hangs out the bottom of the exterior portion of the hive? Bob, I really wish your company would make purchasing from a lot easier, I live in Florida and would 100% rather order from you than Amazon & Mannlake. Mannlake shipping isn’t reliable, more so their wood doesn’t hold a candle to your stuff! Thanks! I want to order a bunch of bottom boards…. Thank You!
Thanks, we're working on it. I've been saying we'll have a new website for a year now. Should be operating soon.
I second this comment! I would like to be able to purchase from BRHC rather than Amazon.
@@bobbinnie9872 Awesome!!
@@bobbinnie9872 You’re losing out on a lot of sales until you do!!! Fingers crossed it’s available soon!
Good ❤
I live on the gulf coast, I seem to raise shb better than bees. I found swifer sheets work the best for me. I use grubex on ground. Has anyone had any success with peppermint candy or oil. It doesn't seem to work for me.
Peppermint is a waste…. Strong colony, swifer up top and grub-x in the ground like you said……
Hi Bob
I hope you’re well
Can I translate your videos to another language please?
Thanks
Lime stone under hives… change ph of the soil.
Maybe we need to get bill gates to make meat out of these so then we can be profitable as beekeepers 😂😂
this year my hive have beetle,😢，they like eating feeding pollen , if the hive not eat pollen have a problem so they will get into the high
Does anyone use peppermint oil?
I have used peppermint oil two years. It works. I have one or two that's all.
That's a long trip to get a hole in your bottom board.
Thats not a new concept. There are other videos on it. Some people keep the lid attached to the board and just unscrew the jar when removing.
No doubt; especially since beekeepers are such tinkerers.. As I mentioned, pitfall traps have been used by entomologists for a long time.
Byebye beetle product has work great
I'm so glad I don't have hive beetles!
Diamateous earth works around the hive.
When it gets wet (specifically states like Florida) the D/E becomes inactive.
Sand dry, full sun.
they like black place ，i on China, they like raining 35℃+ they no eggs in hive, this year I first time sees this my friends say in next city in 2012 have this i feed pollen can see in top eat pollen and egg , they not like sunning day, my friends in soth see them and move in north them gone
They killed my hive. Disgusting horde of monsters.