# SHB indestructible?



## Rusty Hills Farm (Mar 24, 2010)

For a heavy infestation I have only had success with mineral oil. Once the infestation is under control, I have been able to keep it that way with DE, but DE works much slower. So even though the mineral oil is way messier, that is what I use.

Haven't seen a live one in a long time, though I do find their little corpses in my oil pans.

HTH

Rusty


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## LeifLiberty (Sep 23, 2014)

Since killing them seems to be near impossible, I think I will also try the scrotch-brite/swifter sheet trap idea. Have you tried these?


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## bsharp (Feb 5, 2013)

LeifLiberty said:


> Since killing them seems to be near impossible, I think I will also try the scrotch-brite/swifter sheet trap idea. Have you tried these?


I'm also in Sumner County (for a few more weeks...I'm moving) and they've been the worst I've ever seen them this year. It seems like it's rained nonstop this summer so I'm blaming it on that...

Anyway, I just did a trial of the Swiffer sheets last week and while they did trap some, I wasn't really impressed. I'm under the impression that if you have a bad infestation, it's too late for the Swiffers. Instead of trying them, I wish I had just went ahead and built screened bottom board-style oil traps. That's what I get for trying to go the cheap and quick route.


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## LeifLiberty (Sep 23, 2014)

I guess I will upgrade the other hives... Not only do I worry that they are not perfectly level, I do not know what to do with the "used" mineral oil.


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## cervus (May 8, 2016)

LeifLiberty said:


> I do not know what to do with the "used" mineral oil.


Filter and reuse. It doesn't turn rancid like cooking oil. Last long time...


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## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

Beetles are some of the tougher insects to kill. They can regulate their spiracles somewhat and can close them off which makes them harder to kill via soapy water/fumes etc...


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## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

Beetle blasters with oil and vinegar helped me get my infestation under control last summer. It's not cheap, they get in the way, it's easy to forget they're in there, and make a little spill/mess. They are effective tho. Bought 100 last year, used them, saved and washed them, and so far have not needed to use one this season. They're out there (shb) but so far everything I have is strong enough to deal with them. (even the nucs) Treat for mites and pray to the bee Gods.


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## Rusty Hills Farm (Mar 24, 2010)

LeifLiberty said:


> I do not know what to do with the "used" mineral oil.


I pour it on ant hills in my pastures. Kills the ants without having poison around the horses.

Rusty


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## Titus_TN (Jun 13, 2016)

Screen bottoms with lime or some oil in the tray underneath. Even if the adult beetles don't get trapped (and some of them will), it makes short work of the larvae.


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## ruthiesbees (Aug 27, 2013)

I use DE on my bottom boards (under the screened bottom) and it seems pretty effective - I see lots of dead beetles in the dust- I just need to keep it refreshed often in this summer humidity.


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## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

Our club pushes the Scotch Brite wipes. We got Freeman beetle traps on our larger hives and they seem to work just dandy, killing SHB, various larvae (maybe SHB but probably mostly wax moth), and any varroa that drop thru the screen. Also, any bees that explore under the screen when you have the tray out, so make sure you swap trays fast.

I have a fairly elaborate setup for recycling used mineral oil. I strain it thru mosquito netting, then put the strained oil (which usually picks up some water) into a separatory funnel to eliminate the water. The dross from the screen goes into a burning barrel.

Otherwise, I find that SHB die pretty quickly if you mash them with a hive tool. I admit that requires both luck and skill. When they're hiding down in empty cells, pointy tweezers work pretty well.


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## LeifLiberty (Sep 23, 2014)

I tried the swifter sheets. I just pulled a few that were in for a week. The ones on the top of the inner cover were completely un-used. The ones on top of the frames were "used". They captured as many bees as beetles. I freed a few bees but they still had parts of the sheet attached. 

I looked for mineral oil. I had no idea mineral oil was a difficult thing to find. Looked at home depot, lowes, and walmart. No luck. Where do you get your oil? 

Also could you show a picture of the separatory funnel? Is it like the thing people use when cooking?


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## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

Walmart has mineral oil in the pharmacy department, with enema supplies, although that is the expensive way to get it. That is enough for a number of the small oil-filled between-frame beetle traps.

You can order mineral oil on-line in gallon bottles. There are usually some offerings on Amazon.

A separatory funnel looks like this: http://www.hometrainingtools.com/separatory-funnel-squibb-style-1000-ml. You could probably make something cheaper with a soda bottle and some cheap valve or pinch clamp. Mainly, you want to let gravity separate the oil and water, with an easy way to drain off the water. Pouring oil off the top works too but you usually can't recover quite as much.


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## LeifLiberty (Sep 23, 2014)

wow, ok. That 1 liter funnel looks great, but I am guessing you are not using this in the field. You much swap oil then clean the used oil at your honey-house/lab?
Hmm. One of us needs to create a plastic bucket that it fitted with a strainer and shaped to work like a separatory funnel. Then it would be as simple as pour in, tilt, dump the water trough a stopcock, then pour the rest back into the tray. If I recall correctly, small aircraft have the fuel tanks setup so they work like a separatory funnel.... same idea for the same problem, dumping water.



I will try online for the oil...


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## LeifLiberty (Sep 23, 2014)

Rather than dumping out the water I wonder if it would be simpler to add a small amount of the sodium polyacrylate from a disposable diaper? It would then get filtered away with the rest of the debris once it became saturated. 
I do not think it would be toxic. I think I will give it a try once I track down mineral oil.


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## Joe Mac (Jun 1, 2016)

Gallon jug on Ebay $14.99 shipping included. I ordered one jug and lt's good stuff and I will be ordering another. You can find it at Dollar General for $2 per pint, which is $16.00/gallon, + tax and you have to go get it. I would rather have it in a gallon jug. 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/UltraCruz-M...566998?hash=item2ee95b3f96:g:k6QAAOSwcBhWa3Rn


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## dynemd (Aug 27, 2013)

I use the same stuff as Joe Mac, best deal around. Same price on Amazon...
https://www.amazon.com/UltraCruz-Mi...73139327&sr=8-3&keywords=mineral+oil+1+gallon


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## LeifLiberty (Sep 23, 2014)

Great. Thank you. That looks like the right answer for mineral oil.


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## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

LeifLiberty said:


> You much swap oil then clean the used oil at your honey-house/lab?
> Hmm. One of us needs to create a plastic bucket that it fitted with a strainer and shaped to work like a separatory funnel. Then it would be as simple as pour in, tilt, dump the water trough a stopcock, then pour the rest back into the tray. If I recall correctly, small aircraft have the fuel tanks setup so they work like a separatory funnel.... same idea for the same problem, dumping water.


Yes, part of aircraft preflight is to drain a little gas from each tank into a small container and check for water. Used to be people then dumped the sample on the ground, but then we were able to get a device with a strainer that would allow avgas thru but block water, so we could pour it back int the tanks.

I stock spare trays for my Freeman beetle traps. I take the old tray out and* immediately* replace it with a clean one. Otherwise bees get under the hive to check out the screened bottom and are trapped when the new tray finally goes in. I take the dirty trays back to the workshop and put them on a crazy draining rig that holds them at an angle to give the oil time to drip off the tray and thru a strainer. This takes too much time for the field. I usually also take some time to inspect the trays for mites and other pests. Oil trays kill varroa, SHB, SHB larvae, and wax moth larvae (and bees if you don't replace the trays immediately). They're messy, but _*very*_ effective.

Oil soaked dross from the straining goes into the burning barrel.

I used to use veggie oil but it tends to get gummy, thickens into something like margarine (hydrogenation) so it is hard to filter, and when burned it smells like french fries and I worry that will attract bears.


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## LeifLiberty (Sep 23, 2014)

The one hive that I have, that has a tray under, has a west trap. It is the IPM bottom board from Dadant. https://www.dadant.com/catalog/b92901w-screened-bottom-board-with-west-beetle-trap-insert

On the west trap tray is a plastic lid with grooves cut in it. Since the bees can not get through the screen above the west trap, I am wondering if I should remove the lid on the tray to simplify its use. What do you think? Do you have any form of lid on the tray you use?


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## Joe Mac (Jun 1, 2016)

I'm not familiar with the type IPM bottom board you describe. I have modified my own homemade solid wood bottom boards by cutting a 10x15" hole in them and mounting a 10x15x1" non stick cookie pan underneath and #8 hardware cloth screen on the top side of the bottom board to keep out the bees. They are working good at trapping SHB for me. I don't know why yours has a black tray with slots, unless it helps to lure the beetles in, since they like dark areas. All I can recommend is try removing it to see if it works better or not as good.


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## LeifLiberty (Sep 23, 2014)

Do you have any pictures of your homemade version?


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## Joe Mac (Jun 1, 2016)

LeifLiberty said:


> Do you have any pictures of your homemade version?


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## LeifLiberty (Sep 23, 2014)

Wow! Well done!


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## bucksbees (May 19, 2015)

Rusty has one on his website that I build and use. I have tweeked it a little, but it does great. 

I have 8 hives with it, lots of dead shb in the tray, of those 8 only 1 has shb visible when I pop the lid, it is in a shady spot, the other 7 also have full sun.

The 9th hive is a cut out with a solid bottom board, it is going to get its new base in about a week.


Others at the bee club complain about hives getting slimed out, when they ask how many frames I have lost to shb or wax worm, I say none. They just dont think it is possible.


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## Barhopper (Mar 5, 2015)

Leave the slotted top on the west trap. Use mineral oil. Work your hive completely then check the tray. I find that works best. The beetles usually run from light,right into the trap. A small cup with apple cider vinegar will also attract them. I had a serious problem at one yard a couple years ago. After installing the west traps problem solved. I keep mineral oil in those. At the other three locations I've taken the trays out. All my hives are on the dadant bottom board with the west trap. It only $10 more than a regular screen board. A lot cheaper than a new colony of bees.


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## LeifLiberty (Sep 23, 2014)

Wow, I swapped out hydrated lime for mineral oil in my traps. I looked in the traps this week and zero shb (in the traps), plenty elsewhere. I watches a shb crawl into and out of a trap with mineral oil. Do these things need to be completely full of oil? I had them 2/3 full to prevent spills.


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