# Do you need vaseline to control mites in screened bottom board?



## Loonerone (May 4, 2009)

Hi - do we add something sticky like vaseline or veggie oil to the bottom board when we begin to use it = or only once in a while to check for mites? Do mites crawl back up to the bees if they are not stuck in something sticky. I guess is my real question. Thanks!
Leann


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## NasalSponge (Jul 22, 2008)

Do you mean to a tray under a SBB?? Most folks only insert the tray for mite counting and then remove it the rest of the time and you can use lots of stuff...I hear spraying it with Pam works well.


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## Loonerone (May 4, 2009)

*Remove tray in SBB most of the time?*

Yes - SBB - Why do people remove the tray - for ventilation purposes? 

I also read that keeping the tray in allows you to watch the inside of the hive by looking at what is dropping out - wax moths, hive beetle shells, etc - so you can "see" and diagnosis somewhat without going in. 

Thanks for your prompt reply.


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## Ben Brewcat (Oct 27, 2004)

Yes, the tray is used to control ventilation and also to count mite fall but not so much as a treatment. It doesn't do much active control, but the value for monitoring mite fall is huge. Based on a recommendation from Michael Bush, I take the trays out (for the summer) when overnight temps are about 50F and leave them out until late fall. It's been working great for me. The Crisco or vaseline or whatever is to anchor the fallen mites so they're easier to count. It also makes cleaning the board easier; just use a hand scraper like for your windshield. The goop schloops right off after you're done with the count.

It used to be thought (and many books write to this effect) that the fallen mites climb back up, but most of the mites that fall are moribund and near the end of their life cycles. Which means they're not a big part of the problem but are useful from a diagnostic standpoint.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

No. You don't need the Vaseline. You can use it to get mite counts, but you can remove the tray once the nights aren't frosty and what mites fall will fall through to the ground.


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## ellorno (Jan 16, 2014)

The idea of the vaseline is to glue the mites to the board, which is a form of mite control.' I pulled my inserts last night and there were a bunch of young mites running around on it, which i have yet to put any vaseline on it to get them to stick. 

I plan on leavin the screened bottom board on all winter long too to control the mites theu the winter months.


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## ruthiesbees (Aug 27, 2013)

I leave my IPM board in year round. I figure if the small hive beetles can fall through the screen, then they can climb up through it too so I don't want them to have an easy basement door into the hive. I used Crisco/horticultural oil on my board last year to trap the mites & junk, but this year I am using diatomaceous earth on it. I've seen lots of dead adult hive beetles in the dust so I'm pretty happy with this method, and my bees are isolated from the dust themselves (which can be toxic to them).


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## ellorno (Jan 16, 2014)

I've concluded that something on the bottomboard has to be really sticky, such as a specific paste (Tangle foot, Tack Trap and Catch master) You can also make your own glue material if you are so inclined. A quart of water and a quart of corn syrup mixed up and brought to a boil will make a nice sticky glue you can use. Not sure which one works best thru cold winter temperatures, but experimentation will tell!


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## Jackam (Jun 3, 2013)

Buy the glue by the gallon.
same stuff used by catchmaster.
link


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## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

ellorno said:


> I've concluded that something on the bottomboard has to be really sticky, such as a specific paste (Tangle foot, Tack Trap and Catch master) You can also make your own glue material if you are so inclined. A quart of water and a quart of corn syrup mixed up and brought to a boil will make a nice sticky glue you can use. Not sure which one works best thru cold winter temperatures, but experimentation will tell!


Might not be a good idea to use corn syrup, some beetles might get trapped while others will lay eggs. You will be breeding beetles.

I purchased some Tanglefoot on amazon for SBB trays.


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## ellorno (Jan 16, 2014)

I'm thinking more into cold weather, where the temp is -20c. What can work at those temps..!?:scratch:


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## AR Beekeeper (Sep 25, 2008)

I would not worry about varroa or small hive beetles making it back into the hive after falling through the open mesh bottom board, especially in winter. If they fall a distance of 2 inches below the screen varroa mites can't crawl back, they die before they crawl that far. When temps are in the 60s SHB are sluggish, and will die outside of the cluster of bees.

Oil on the sticky board is to keep the varroa from blowing off or crawling off the board so that they may be counted. If you use Crisco or other cooking oil often ants will eat the oil and the varroa. If you use mineral oil the ants avoid the board.


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## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

A regular SBB offers no ventilation with the sticky board in place. We use ventilated Freeman beetle traps, which are SBBs cut so they can hold either a sticky board or a plastic tray containing oil. The vent openings allow us to leave the trays in place but still allow plenty of air in for our hot and sticky Virginia summers.

I've been using veggie spray recently, even in the oil trays. It does not take much to trap varroa mites, but if you want to also kill small hive beetles, spray it on pretty heavily.

Either one will kill bees, too, if they get trapped between the screen and the board. If you leave the board out for long, bees will get up in that space trying to figure out how to get into the hive that way. And if not inserted all the way, they'll get around the board and be caught in the oil.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Loonerone said:


> Hi - do we add something sticky like vaseline or veggie oil to the bottom board when we begin to use it = or only once in a while to check for mites? Do mites crawl back up to the bees if they are not stuck in something sticky. I guess is my real question. Thanks!
> Leann


Screened bottom boards do not act as a mite control.


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## BeeAttitudes (Dec 6, 2014)

Phones, any chance you have pictures or plans for the ventilated Freeman beetle traps?



Phoebee said:


> A regular SBB offers no ventilation with the sticky board in place. We use ventilated Freeman beetle traps, which are SBBs cut so they can hold either a sticky board or a plastic tray containing oil. The vent openings allow us to leave the trays in place but still allow plenty of air in for our hot and sticky Virginia summers.
> 
> I've been using veggie spray recently, even in the oil trays. It does not take much to trap varroa mites, but if you want to also kill small hive beetles, spray it on pretty heavily.
> 
> Either one will kill bees, too, if they get trapped between the screen and the board. If you leave the board out for long, bees will get up in that space trying to figure out how to get into the hive that way. And if not inserted all the way, they'll get around the board and be caught in the oil.


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## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

I've been buying them from my local bee supplier, pre-built, but ....

http://freemanbeetletrap.com/build_it_yourself

Drawings would have been nice. This particular page doesn't tell how to get the trays, nor does there seem to be any spot to buy them on the website, but I guess they must sell them.

This winter I switched to drug store mineral oil as the beetle trap medium. The veggie oil was gumming up and did not filter easily for re-use. Some others here say they've used it.


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