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  • From: Randall Austin <ra41717 AT gmail.com>
  • To: ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [ocba] SHB traps
  • Date: Sun, 21 Jul 2013 14:08:40 -0400

Jerry,

Re: "Is there a risk that beetles can 'track' boric acid into the hive?" What about this set-up would prevent them from doing so? It seems to me that where there's a will, there's a way.

Some people use strips of corrugated plastic (e.g. old campaign signs) just as-is. The beetles hide in the tunnels. The beekeeper opens the hive, takes the strips and dunks them in a bucket of water. Then, as the mob saying goes, the beetles end up swimmin' wid da fishes. Whether to put the strips on the bottom board or inner cover or both is your choice.

Small hive beetles are a fact of life in Orange County. If you have just a few, you don't have a problem. Tens of thousands of healthy bees are a lot more effective than one beekeeper in getting rid of them. The bees will keep beetles under control without help if you manage the 3 S's: Sun (keep hives in full sun as much as possible), Strength (combine weak hives, keep colonies healthy by treating for mites, etc.) and Space (don't provide more frames than the bees can effectively police). Beyond that, it isn't clear what can be done that will have a meaningful impact on colony health with respect to beetle infestations. Killing adult beetles is satisfying but they aren't the ones that destroy hives. It's the larvae that are the real problem, and beekeepers don't see them until the hive is past the brink of disaster.

Randall Austin

On 7/21/2013 12:41 PM, Jerry Schoendorf wrote:
As the summer progresses, more small hive beetles are appearing - seen most
often around the inner cover. One technique for trapping and killing them
that was seen on-line used pieces of plastic, corrugated sheets that are
sealed on the ends with shortening and contain some boric acid powder inside.
Instructions generally (always) suggest putting these traps on the bottom
board.
Is it okay to attach them to the top of the inner cover? Is there a risk that beetles
can "track" boric acid into the hive?
Thanks!!
Jerry
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  • [ocba] SHB traps, Jerry Schoendorf, 07/21/2013
    • Re: [ocba] SHB traps, Randall Austin, 07/21/2013

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