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Author Topic: New SHB trap design  (Read 5129 times)

Offline tillie

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New SHB trap design
« on: April 29, 2007, 10:23:22 am »
Has anyone tried this SHB trap described on Beeworks?

http://beeworks.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=63

I'm starting to see the SHB in my hives again this year.  Last year I used the Brushy Mountain SHB trap and it worked OK, but I still saw beetles in the hive and it uses up a frame in the hive.  I also know that Jamie Ellie has had great results with his nematode research, but my hives are not on the ground so I don't want to buy nematodes to kill SHBs that are probably not developing on the ground under my deck but rather flying for miles to get to my wonderful hives.

This SHB trap involves a wax moth lure and a plastic trap armed with FGMO.  I'm going out to buy sandwich containers today and poke holes in them.  I don't own a soldering iron (which was suggested for hole punching) but I'll bet either a drill tip or a hot yarn needle would do the same job. 

I have banana peels on overripened bananas and the only missing link is a definition of what "ferment" equals in creating the lure.  Any ideas what that means?  Overnight? Over a week? When would one decide it had fermented enough?  And wouldn't fermenation with the banana peel continue in the hive?

If I place this trap on top of the inner cover, could I then cover it with an upside down bottom board to minimize the space around it?  Or would you do an empty super and fill it with newspaper to keep the bees from building comb???

All thoughts and advice appreciated, as always,

Linda T fighting the SHB in Atlanta

Offline Cindi

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Re: New SHB trap design
« Reply #1 on: April 29, 2007, 10:54:58 am »
Linda, that darn small hive beetle.  I think my lucky stars that we don't have that affliction here, yet.  Good luck with getting the responses to your post, they will be interesting.  Have a wonderful day, beautiful day, good health to all.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline tillie

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Re: New SHB trap design
« Reply #2 on: April 29, 2007, 09:24:56 pm »
I assume the extreme quietness on my post has to do with nobody having tried this, so I'll be a pioneer and let you know how it works. 

In the meantime, I would appreciate an answer to this question:

If I put something on top of the inner cover and surround it with a super - the something being a tupperware like sandwich container -

1.  do I need to fill the super with crumpled newspaper to discourage the bees from building comb?
or
2.  is there a better way to handle putting something on top of the hive under the telescoping cover?

Linda T in Atlanta, pioneering with the Mel/Sonny method to get rid of the SHB


Offline Understudy

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Re: New SHB trap design
« Reply #3 on: April 29, 2007, 10:04:33 pm »
I may have to try this. I don't have a huge SHB issue but if I can keep the numbers down why not. I have enough room in one of my hives that I could put small tupperware containers on the bottom. I would also like to know how long to let the mix ferment before putting it in the tupperware. I would probably use olive oil as it is much more accesible to me than FGMO.

Warning : I am flying to Atlanta Monday night flying back Thursday afternoon.

Sincerely,
Brendhan
The status is not quo. The world is a mess and I just need to rule it. Dr. Horrible

Offline tillie

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Re: New SHB trap design
« Reply #4 on: April 29, 2007, 10:21:28 pm »
Sonny emailed me to put the lure (in a pint jar) out in the sun for a day and it would be ready to use - so that's the plan for tomorrow.  He makes the holes in the sandwich container with a wood burning tool from WalMart - don't have a near-to-work WalMart, but I'll bet they have one at the Michael's craft store.

Linda T

Note: Brendhan, I'll PM you about your time in Atlanta - we can get together this time if it works in your schedule.

Offline tillie

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Re: New SHB trap design
« Reply #5 on: April 29, 2007, 11:16:12 pm »
I've now heard from both Mel and Sonny, the two inventors of this SHB trap.  They say I can use the lure immediately but best if it ages in the sun for a day tomorrow.  They put the trap on the top of the hive and enclose it in a shim made with a 1X2 board - I assume that is a box made with a one by two - the size of a super. 

Although I only have a hand saw, I'll bet I can saw through a 1x2 and nail it into a box to do this...can't be much different than nailing together the many supers I have now hammered together.  I tell you, if I keep on beekeeping, I'll get good at construction yet!

I posted the beginning of this process on my blog (making the lure)
http://beekeeperlinda.blogspot.com/2007/04/full-on-attack-against-small-hive.html

I'll keep on posting there, so if you are interested in fighting the SHB, keep watching and I'll let you know how it goes.

Linda T waging SHB war in Atlanta

Offline Cindi

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Re: New SHB trap design
« Reply #6 on: May 01, 2007, 11:20:11 am »
Linda, I think that you are a simply amazing and astounding woman.  You are a wonderful piece of a woman who works so hard to make life great for her bees.  My hat (if I ever wore one), is taken off to you.  Keep on keepin' on.  Best of this beautiful day, Linda, great health wishes for all.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline ericthebee

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Re: New SHB trap design
« Reply #7 on: May 15, 2007, 07:18:23 am »
  I have had great success with a trap our club uses (Sydney Australia )  Get a narrow CD case and break little holes in the sides, (big enough for beetles not bees ) attach a bit of wire (1 ft long) to it thru a small hole. Then break open a coackroach trap (type you slide under fridges etc)  then using a match put the brown sticky bait inside the CD case at centre. Wash hands well, do not get it on outside of CD case or bye bye bees.  Slide the CD case into the hive and it's all over red rover for those beetles.  Use wire to pull out to check & remove  dead beetles . Cheap easy and effective

Offline tillie

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Re: New SHB trap design
« Reply #8 on: May 15, 2007, 08:15:38 am »
I've seen descriptions of similar use of the roach stuff.  And people who want to go that way do find success.

I'm trying not to put anything poison in my hives and want to trap (and kill) the beetles via drowning in oil or vinegar rather than risk the poison in the hive.  Since I made the plans and bought the stuff to make these traps, I've seen very few SHBs in my hives.  My small new arrived-on-my-deck-on-their-own hive has SHBs under the top cover, but I've only seen one or two beetles in each of the other hives this year. 

Maybe it's still too cool at night to suit them, because I feel quite sure they are lurking somewhere.

Linda T in Atlanta still on the trail of the SHB

Offline Hi-Tech

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Re: New SHB trap design
« Reply #9 on: June 22, 2007, 11:13:35 pm »
Here is what I did and it has almost halted my SHB problem and has helped the mite problem as well. I will try to describe this but pictures would be better. Unfortunately, my camera is kaput so no pictures.

OK… I built a custom screen bottom board that is wider than normal. I built it wide enough to put a west beetle trap (https://www.dadant.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=724) under it. It slides in from the back on a small shelf that I installed on the bottom of the bottom board. I put lime in the hive trap and slide it under the bottom board from the back of the hive. It rests about 2 inches under the screen.
So… beetles, when they are still small, will go through the screen bottom board to hide and go into the trap below and get bogged down in the lime and die! I only have a few traps so I leave one under a hive for a while and then move it to another one.
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Re: New SHB trap design
« Reply #10 on: June 29, 2007, 09:09:25 pm »
Hey tillie,

I've seen your posts on BeeSource and now just came across this one. I'm thinking of trying this method among others, so I'll post when I see what happens. It sounds like you were lucky and escaped a lot of the beetles this year, I'll probably have more to test these traps out with. :-x Ahh well...

-Nathanael 8-)

 

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