SHB control outside the hive

[Bee Happy]

Yeah Mick, you know you mentioned a trap outside the hive before they enter. it's probably something for more of a chemist that myself, but what if you could duplicate the alarm pheromone so well that you could put it in a "roach motel" type trap for the beetles (far away from the hives of course - or they'll be irritated all the time - say 30 or 40 meters). just a powerful scent to draw and trap the pests before they ever get in. - I may try it with some bananas and a sticky trap and see how it goes. 

[Delmer]

I have some screen bottom boards with the veggie oil tray and catch quite a few. But I just put some GardStar below the SBB and around the hives. It will be intereseting in a week or so to see if this stuff really works.  My two hives are mostly shady with only about 2 hours of partial sun so I do have a SHB problem. Next 2 hives I plan on having will be in full sun.

...DOUG

Doug-   did the Gardstar work?

[SlickMick]

Yeah Mick, you know you mentioned a trap outside the hive before they enter. it's probably something for more of a chemist that myself, but what if you could duplicate the alarm pheromone so well that you could put it in a "roach motel" type trap for the beetles (far away from the hives of course - or they'll be irritated all the time - say 30 or 40 meters). just a powerful scent to draw and trap the pests before they ever get in. - I may try it with some bananas and a sticky trap and see how it goes. 

That's the sort of thing I have been thinking of. Maybe not the alarm pheromone but certainly using attractants like pollen patties perhaps in a cd case with an appropriate insecticide bait. I have never used pollen patties but intend to get some pollen and mix up a test sample over the next few days to see if they will work outside the hive in traps.

I imagine they would work inside the hive and have seen pics of something like that with heaps of dead shb in them but I am reluctant to put them inside the hive with chemicals in them

Mick

[Bee Happy]

Why not try nailing a bottom onto a deep hive body and putting it below a hive with an open SBB and put about an inch of salt in the bottom of it and some #8 HW screen over the top? 

Here's what I'm thinking: The high sides of the deep hive body shouldn't let rain get in to the salt to ruin it, the screen over the top of it will keep the bees out, and the hard bottom would prevent the adults from simply burrowing below the salt to lay their eggs.  The same setup would probably also work with borax or DE... or if it's made water-tight veggie oil would drown them.

clever, I might give that a go.

[SlickMick]

Why not try nailing a bottom onto a deep hive body and putting it below a hive with an open SBB and put about an inch of salt in the bottom of it and some #8 HW screen over the top? 

Here's what I'm thinking: The high sides of the deep hive body shouldn't let rain get in to the salt to ruin it, the screen over the top of it will keep the bees out, and the hard bottom would prevent the adults from simply burrowing below the salt to lay their eggs.  The same setup would probably also work with borax or DE... or if it's made water-tight veggie oil would drown them.

I think that would work quite well. Have to make myself an SBB

Mick