So let me get this straight the small hive beetle does not crawl up into the hive from the ground, every one of them that enters the hive is going to have to come in through the entrance and then they lay their egg in the brood box correct?
I’m just trying to get my head wrapped around what’s going on here in my hive because I seen 6 small Hive beetles on the bottom corflute with probably the same amount of larvae today.
So with people that have the modified corflute bottom with de the small hive beetle walks in through the entrance and then tries to go hide up in the hive but the bees Chase it down through the screen and once they hit the de/oil they die?
That’s about it. The bees hassle them and they fall through. The ones that get into the frames seem to go up so the traps higher up on the brood boxes are most effective. However, when it cools down they have a fine old time in any box away from the cluster. Little buggers!!
You have the general idea but SHB fly to the hive generally. I have SHB traps set up in the area of the apiary and they do a reasonable job of helping to control SHB. Note to that a strong hive will help in controlling SHB.
Cheers Peter
Hi there. I found that putting about 5mm of vegetable oil in the bottom tray meant that once chased down there by the bees they were unable to escape. It worked well.
They can also get in just above the corflute. I slide the corflute out every few days and squash any beetles and moths that aren’t dead.
Don’t worry too much about it they are always around. The key factor is too keep the hive strong and the bees will manage them. A lot of people have no additional protection against small hive beetle.
I think I got them off EBay and saw them for the first time on YouTube demoed by a guy from the NSW dept of agriculture. I am sure you could make them up with plastic coke bottles, etc. I hang them around the perimeter of my apiary about 2/3 metres off the ground. Rain can’t get in as the yellow acts as an umbrella and the SHB gets access from under that. I get more SHB in them as I get from the hive internal traps so they work for me Rob.
Cheers Peter
Hey Rob, watch this video and it shows the same trap as I use and the mix to use. So far I haven’t found a bee in the trap but I suspect they catch as many, if not more SHB as the hive internal traps claim.
Cheers Rob
I space them about 15 metres apart and 10 metres from the outer hives in my apiary. They have been one of my better investments to help with SHB control. But of course you aren’t in a bush environment so you will need to adjust accordingly.
