# Small hive beetle out of hive trapping adult beetles



## Sea Bee (Jun 28, 2014)

I have used numerous types of small hive beetle traps in my hives and each has brought me some level of success. I have been using my own out of hive lure trap to trap adults, but I'm not sure if I am catching newly emerged adult beetles or if I am drawing them out of the hives. Has anyone else had luck using out of hive traps? I used mine yesterday and captured 57 adult beetles in an oil trap. I used a pheromone lure I designed to capture them. I have noticed that when I use the lure the first time is when I catch the most and following days I catch fewer. I now wait about four days in between using it and find that numbers are up again. I'm thinking that I am capturing the newly emerged adults who are seeking new hives to invade. Would like to hear thoughts about this if anyone has tried this.


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## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

the way to tell would be to place a trap away from any hives. I mean miles away. if it catches beetles then you know they are not coming from your hive. Either way it takes a toll on the pests.


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## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?288552-My-New-Beetle-Trap

What do you use for pheromone lure?

>I have noticed that when I use the lure the first time is when I catch the most and following days I catch fewer.
I noticed the same thing it's in the above post.

Last year pigeon mountain made something similar to mine, they now sell it on there site. They use banana, sugar, vinegar and water as bait. I found comb to works better, freshly slimmed comb the best (after you freeze it)

I have been working on a new idea (almost ready to test); 3 hive box spacer or shims with screen/hardware cloth in them 2 with 1/8 hardware cloth 1 with regular screen (these shims can be multi purposed when screened combines are needed). Spread tangle foot, double sided tape, Swiffer pad or other adhesive on an area of each side of the regular screen shim. Then put the 1/8 hardware cloth above and below. Remove the inner cover and put it on top of any hive you want to reduce beetles in. Put your lid back on but use small blocks of wood so that your lid is propped open. Two thing should happen first some beetles that decide to leave the hive and exit up towards the light will get stuck. Second warm scented hive air will rise through the screens and attract beetles as the try to get into the hive they will get stuck. It should also work below the hive.


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

Welcome again!


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## Sea Bee (Jun 28, 2014)

Thank you for the welcomes and replies. It rained this afternoon and I'm not sure how that will factor into the testing equation. It hasn't rained during the days I've tested it before. I am miles away from my hives and don't know of any nearby. However, honeybees visit our yards daily and I'm sure there is one close by... this is coastal Georgia with lots of huge mossy live oaks and hollows in trees that I'm sure they have colonized. I read the article by Dr. Teal at the USDA and found it very interesting. My lure doesn't contain any of that yeast because it is cooked for hours in a pressure cooker and is then canned in mason jars. There are over 40 different ingredients in the lure and I'm still refining the formula. I've made small batches on three occasions and only one worked really well. I'm paying very close attention to the amounts I use so I can consistently make a reliable formula. I'll say more about ingredients after I test this new batch. My brother is going to video record trapping SHB with me next week and I'll post the video so the application process can be better understood because there is no other method I know of that traps beetles this way. Five nights ago the trap caught 57 beetles and 7 wax moths. I noticed that some of the beetles did not land in the oil and took cover under the trap and were there the next day, hiding out. Those beetles were manually exterminated.
*I am by no means giving up my in hive traps, but it will be interesting to see if this puts a dent in the local beetle population. The trap has so far shown to be a good method of measuring free flying beetle saturation of an area. Those beetles are headed somewhere, or came out of the hive for a sightseeing breather before returning to con the bees into feeding them more.

The spacers in the hive sound like interesting traps. I'd like to hear more about how those work out. I believe in trapping them at every stage of growth and if it can be done naturally then it is all the better.


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## GaryG74 (Apr 9, 2014)

Great info! The more ways we can kill the little buggers the better. I'll be watching for more updates.


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## Sea Bee (Jun 28, 2014)

Yesterday's beetle trapping did not go as well because of the rain. I was only able to trap 3 beetles, all of which were females. It will be interesting to see if there is a big hatch after the rain. It is 7 AM here and the humidity level is at 88% and the high temp around 96 today. That should steam incubate some SHB eggs and leave us dripping with sweat. When I get back to my apiary I am going to watch the hives more closely during the dawn and evening dusk hours to see if beetles leave and return during the day as one beekeeper told me he has observed. These beetles I've caught have to be out of the hives for a reason. Either they are mating before finding a host hive or they are leaving to find some other source of food, water, or perhaps even following the bees to wait on flowers so they can beg nectar from them. I'm hoping that these are newly hatched adults and that I can take them out of the equation before they ever get a chance to invade a hive. Wouldn't that be great if it could make a break in the cycle by capturing most of the emerging adults at each hatch in the local area? I know that it won't deplete the world, but if I can reduce the number of beetles near my apiary the better off I will be.*
I'm*working on an attractant that is also a food source for the beetles. Maybe those beetles that hide under the trap can be coaxed into eating a little of the diatomaceous earth laced food while they wait? *I'm going to sandwich the bait between two thin boards that are clipped together with an opening size too thin for honeybees to get in and place it beneath the trap as a convenient hideaway with amenities. If it works, I may go a step further and use a pesticide in the bait or that part of the trap since the trap will be out of the hive, and being so will greatly reduce the risk of poisoning the hive. Maybe some loose diatomaceous earth for them to hang out in while they hide?*
Hopefully, when I make my hive splits the traps will help to control any infestations while the bees rear new queens.


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