Welcome, Guest

Author Topic: DYI SHB lure/trap  (Read 10359 times)

Offline nietssemaj

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 237
  • Gender: Male
DYI SHB lure/trap
« on: April 16, 2012, 10:00:00 am »
My new hives are teaming with SHB.

So far one of the hives is keeping them off the frames. The other isn't doing as well. near as I sit and watch the bee's coming in I also watch the SHB coming in as well.

I discovered a site, http://www.beeworks.com/informationcentre/small_hive_beetle.html, that had some promising information about an SHB lure/trap so I built 2 of them.

The trap is baited with apple cider vinegar, sugar water and ground up banana peel. The theory they have and that I have heard elsewhere is that the beetle's are attracted to a scent given off by the excrement of the larvae with bears a remarkable similarity to he bee's alarm pheromone. Theoretically the above mixture when fermented will mimic that scent and attract the beetles to the trap.

I made my traps out of the larger size cheapo ziplock sandwhich style containers, the ones that are 2 inches high. I hot melt glued a Ni-Quill cup in the center of the trap to hold my bait. 3/16th inch holes are drilled around the top of the trap to allow the beetles inside. The trap is filled with mineral oil as it doesn't go rancid like vegetable oil and has no odor of its own.

Here is a picture of the completed trap.


Supposedly you can place these in the hive on top of the frames. You'd need a shallow box or some sort of spacer up there of course. Mine are sitting on the blocks my top bar hives legs sit on the outside of the hive.

I placed them out last night a dusk. This morning I had already trapped 1 beetle in one of the traps. Not huge I know, but we'll see what I get this afternoon.

If they appear to be working well I may build a platform under the entrance to the hive so this lure can sit right next to the entrance and possibly lure the beetles that are heading into the hive though that may not be necessary.

Offline beyondthesidewalks

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 286
  • Gender: Male
  • I need a shave
Re: DYI SHB lure/trap
« Reply #1 on: April 16, 2012, 10:42:09 am »
Please keep us posted.  Sound like it is promising and good luck with your SHB problem.

Offline nietssemaj

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 237
  • Gender: Male
Re: DYI SHB lure/trap
« Reply #2 on: April 19, 2012, 03:03:39 pm »
Traps have been out now for 3 days and I've caught 1 beetle. Not working as well as I hoped. Perhaps its the placement. Going to try and get them right next to the hive tonight or tomorrow.

Offline nietssemaj

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 237
  • Gender: Male
Re: DYI SHB lure/trap
« Reply #3 on: April 22, 2012, 07:33:52 pm »
Never did get around to building a shelf for the traps. However, perhaps the 'bait' needed to ripen. Last three days, 1 trap that had nothing in it managed to catch 5 beetles.


Offline ShaneJ

  • Field Bee
  • ***
  • Posts: 530
  • Gender: Male
Re: DYI SHB lure/trap
« Reply #4 on: April 23, 2012, 12:50:24 am »
In one of your traps, forget the centre container for the lure. Put your apple cider vinegar in the trap container and put just enough cooking oil to cover top of the vinegar. The oil will stop the vinegar from evaporating to much but the beetles are still attracted to the vinegar and get stuck in the oil.
Shane

Offline ShaneJ

  • Field Bee
  • ***
  • Posts: 530
  • Gender: Male
Re: DYI SHB lure/trap
« Reply #5 on: April 23, 2012, 01:06:26 am »
I would imagine that the beetle would struggle to get into that trap design. The smooth plastic container would be difficult for them to climb and get through the holes.

Do you have some holes drilled in the lid?

Here is a similar design theory. As you can see the trap utilises vents for the beetle entrances but you could just use drilled holes though. The container is a multi compartment storage container.

Shane

Offline TwT

  • Senior Forum
  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 3396
  • Ted
THAT's ME TO THE LEFT JUST 5 MONTHS FROM NOW!!!!!!!!

Never be afraid to try something new.
Amateurs built the ark,
Professionals built the Titanic

Offline orvette1

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 69
Re: DYI SHB lure/trap
« Reply #7 on: May 12, 2012, 08:53:59 pm »
I tried this trap on two of my hives.  I put it on top of the hives not in them.  They didn't catch anything. So for me they don't work, I'll stick to AJ's beetle eater.  Too bad no one in the US sells them anymore.

Offline nietssemaj

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 237
  • Gender: Male
Re: DYI SHB lure/trap
« Reply #8 on: May 12, 2012, 10:05:00 pm »
I've caught lots of beetles with the trap. However, it doesn't seem to have made a dent in the beetle population in the hives. In fact, as was suggested before it may actually just be acting as a lure attracting them to the hive.