# SHB & Crisco ... feeding or killing them?



## billybwf (Aug 17, 2012)

They eat Crisco it only kills them if they get trapped. DE will kill them but if your putting it on the Crisco I believe you are reducing the killing power. If you are useing DE, you can make some traps out on slimline cd cases. You can find videos online. Last year I mane baited traps out of the smaller butter tubs which worked pretty well. I baited them with pollen patty.


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## Tom Davidson (Mar 20, 2012)

billybwf said:


> They eat Crisco it only kills them if they get trapped. DE will kill them but if your putting it on the Crisco I believe you are reducing the killing power.


Yeah, the Crisco didn't seem to be slowing down the larvae any. I'll switch to vegetable oil on those inserts. I'm gonna see how the corex and DVD case traps work out (and my "Sonny Mel" traps).


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## Jon Wolff (Apr 28, 2013)

I read a research paper on various methods of trapping and killing SHB's and their larvae. It claimed that DE killed the beetles, but that the larvae were tough enough to withstand it (if temporarily). I have enclosed bottom boxes on my top bar hives with DE in them and so far they seem to be doing the trick. The beetles are chased through cuts in the bottom of the hives and fall into the DE below. However, DE isn't poison and I don't know if putting them in DVD cases as you would boric acid will work effectively, especially as the Crisco may reduce or even eliminate the usefulness of the DE as a dessicating agent.


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## Tom Davidson (Mar 20, 2012)

Interesting! I'm going to find out. I suspect the Corex traps might be very effective ... OR, if not DE perhaps filling them with a little bit of oil instead would work (and sealing with Crisco). When I remove my screen bottom board inserts, I found a ton of earwigs in the corex cavities. I think the beetles will love 'em.

BTW, does dusting with sugar irritate the bees so that they chase the beetles around even more? I know the sugar doesn't affect the beetles, but angry bees hot on their trail is a good thing.


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## trance (Mar 29, 2013)

what is DE? Thanks


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## jbeshearse (Oct 7, 2009)

diatomaceous earth


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