Author Topic: shb oil trap (Read 5439 times)

Leather Jim · « **on:** August 10, 2013, 02:31:31 pm »

Anyone know the minimum depth of oil in a tray required to drown SHB? Building screen bottom style trap and trying to minimize the work involved in making the trays.

Thanks Jim

GSF · « **Reply #1 on:** August 10, 2013, 10:07:37 pm »

There's a DIY instruction at greenbeehives. I believe they said 1/8 of an inch covering all the bottom. May want to check to be sure hive is level.

BeeMaster2 · « **Reply #2 on:** August 11, 2013, 08:44:40 am »

Jim,
I am on my 4th year using oil trays. I just keep enough oil in them to keep a thin layer covering the tray. This has worked so well that I and another beek in my bee range are both running the trays dry because the beetle population is way down this year. Since none of the larva are able to make it out of the hive to pupate and it is depleting the local beetle population. What is important is to that all of your local beeks are doing the same thing. All it takes is one apiary to be dropping lots of beetle larvae to keep them going strong.
I do check my dry trays at least once a week and kill the beetles and larvae in them. The larvae can grow in the dry trays due to the pollen drops. It is a whole lot nicer than cleaning nasty oil full of dead beetles. The first few years the trays were solid black with dead beetles.
Jim

Wolfer · « **Reply #3 on:** August 11, 2013, 08:49:58 am »

I sound like a broken record but if everyone used these SHB would be added to the endangered list.

BeeMaster2 · « **Reply #4 on:** August 11, 2013, 09:46:33 pm »

Quote from: Wolfer on August 11, 2013, 08:49:58 am

I sound like a broken record but if everyone used these SHB would be added to the endangered list.

I agree. It is working here.
I had a bee picnic here at my house for our club.
I showed every one my screen bottom boards and told them about how they killed thousands of beetles per hive per month and that now I do not use the oil because Steve, and I both devastated the local population. Steve has bees about a 1/2 mile from here and also had the same experience this year after using the oil trays for a couple of years.
Jim

sc-bee · « **Reply #5 on:** August 11, 2013, 11:11:04 pm »

Quote from: Wolfer on August 11, 2013, 08:49:58 am

I sound like a broken record but if everyone used these SHB would be added to the endangered list.

Not hardly, they eat other things besides honey and pollen :'(

BeeMaster2 · « **Reply #6 on:** August 11, 2013, 11:49:15 pm »

Quote from: sc-bee on August 11, 2013, 11:11:04 pm

Quote from: Wolfer on August 11, 2013, 08:49:58 am
I sound like a broken record but if everyone used these SHB would be added to the endangered list.

Not hardly, they eat other things besides honey and pollen :'(

Their preferred location for breeding is in the hive. If they are available they find them.
Jim

RHBee · « **Reply #7 on:** August 13, 2013, 08:43:47 am »

I've experienced the same reduction of SHB in the back yard. Not much activity this year. I can only attribute it to the traps.
I was wondering if any of you have tried using DE, Boric Acid or Hydrated Lime in the trays?

BeeMaster2 · « **Reply #8 on:** August 13, 2013, 01:21:23 pm »

No, the oil trays worked real well.
Jim

GSF · « **Reply #9 on:** August 13, 2013, 05:16:50 pm »

I haven't been in my hives since I installed the IPK SHB oil trap from greenbees. I plan to go in this weekend. I have always found the most SHB in/on/around my top inner cover. I have beetle barns in there but I think they just pee on the corners or something. With the vegetable oil(vo) in mind, I thought I might replace the ones I have in there now and put a couple in there coated on the inside with VO. Don't know if it would work. Do yall see any downside to this approach?

I have been looking at my tray. I think it's been installed about 4 to 6 days. I counted around 8 to 10 (I think) SHBs and about 3 larva. Isn't nature amazing. I'm looking at that 1 inch long larva and thinking you shrink into a beetle?

Leather Jim · « **Reply #10 on:** August 14, 2013, 12:22:19 am »

One inch? Sounds like a wax moth larva to me.

dprater · « **Reply #11 on:** August 14, 2013, 06:12:14 am »

I was wondering if any of you have tried using DE, Boric Acid or Hydrated Lime in the trays?
[/quote]
I have though about DE or salt. The larvae are hard to kill. I have watched them crawl in and out of the oil for hours. Somehow they can stay under the oil and crawl from one side of the pan to the other and come up the side, and I did not even see a snorkel at all :).

dan

Mackayboi · « **Reply #12 on:** August 14, 2013, 09:33:35 am »

I have recently caught up with a fellow beek and he shown how effective using basic food grade oil is to control the SHB.

When my hive is up and running, I am definitely using this tried and proven method.

GSF · « **Reply #13 on:** August 14, 2013, 09:56:02 am »

I can't say if this is the truth or not. I have read that although the larva crawls out of the oil it won't survive because being covered with oil prevents it from breathing.

millipede · « **Reply #14 on:** August 14, 2013, 03:00:19 pm »

If the hives are on cement does that reduce beetle reproduction? I still run oil under my hive but they are all on cement and I don't get a lot of beetles.

RHBee · « **Reply #15 on:** August 14, 2013, 03:07:59 pm »

The only reason I was asking was the mess. I also found running the hives level lets some rain water get into the pan. If the pan could have a dry material put in them then the hives could be tilted forward and keep water out.

BeeMaster2 · « **Reply #16 on:** August 14, 2013, 10:37:33 pm »

Quote from: dprater on August 14, 2013, 06:12:14 am

I was wondering if any of you have tried using DE, Boric Acid or Hydrated Lime in the trays?

I have though about DE or salt. The larvae are hard to kill. I have watched them crawl in and out of the oil for hours. Somehow they can stay under the oil and crawl from one side of the pan to the other and come up the side, and I did not even see a snorkel at all :).

dan
[/quote]
I have noticed the larvae survive if there is water under tha oil.
Jim

BeeMaster2 · « **Reply #17 on:** August 14, 2013, 10:41:07 pm »

Quote from: millipede on August 14, 2013, 03:00:19 pm

If the hives are on cement does that reduce beetle reproduction? I still run oil under my hive but they are all on cement and I don't get a lot of beetles.

The larvae will craw off the cement into the dirt, usually at night.
Jim

sterling · « **Reply #18 on:** August 15, 2013, 11:26:35 am »

Quote from: RHBee on August 13, 2013, 08:43:47 am

I've experienced the same reduction of SHB in the back yard. Not much activity this year. I can only attribute it to the traps.
I was wondering if any of you have tried using DE, Boric Acid or Hydrated Lime in the trays?

I am using Hydrated Lime in my trays it works and is not as messy. But you need to check them regularly and make sure the trays don't fill with wax and pollen because wax moth will live on top of the lime in the wax.

RHBee · « **Reply #19 on:** August 15, 2013, 03:52:54 pm »

Quote from: sterling on August 15, 2013, 11:26:35 am

I am using Hydrated Lime in my trays it works and is not as messy. But you need to check them regularly and make sure the trays don't fill with wax and pollen because wax moth will live on top of the lime in the wax.

Thanks sterling, I was at the point of giving it a try. I figured what could it hurt? After all when you dump the tray it won't even kill the grass. I work around this stuff. It's used as an alloy in making steel. The dust is every where. I don't see anything crawling in it.