Small Hive Beetle Trap

I guess at some point or other every beekeeper has to deal with small hive beetles.  We've been dealing with ours here for a few weeks, and it seems like we're getting the upper hand.  We've got lots of lines of defense in place, and each one of them is catching beetles.  I'm open to helpful suggestions in the comments section below.

Got the idea for this contraption on YouTube. It's quite a simple concept, really.  To build one you'll need a 10-foot 2x4 (I used treated), #6 hardware cloth with a footprint big enough to cover the floor of the hive, a piece of plywood (I used 3/4 inch), and an 8-foot 2x2.  Finally you'll need screws or nails to hold it all together.

The holes in the #6 screen are big enough for the beetles to climb through, but too small for the honey bees.

The aluminum tray I purchased for $2 at a discount store, and it slides in from the back of the hive.  The tray is given a layer of canola oil (supposed to have the least odor) to about half of its depth.  The 2-inch depth of the tray allows for the forward tilt of the hive with no oil spillage when carefully removing the tray.

Tomorrow my wife and I plan to do some inspecting and super-shifting, so we plan to install at least one of these at that time.  We also need to combine a weak colony with a strong one, otherwise the weak one is not going to survive the winter.  I'll let you know how that goes.

Monday, September 18, 2017

Sunrise: 6:31 am

Sunset: 7:46 pm

Temperature at Noon: 90 degrees

Sun's Angle at Noon: 59 degrees

UV: High

Humidity: 54%

Three Hives and Counting

The buckwheat in the top field is looking good all over again.  The bees have come out of the woodwork and are devouring this new crop.

One of our babies taking a drink.

This is the second crop from this field of buckwheat.

The field is looking good.  The crop down below has again gone back to seed.  I'm going to mow it down again, till it in and see if the seeds will sprout once more before the cold.

Got ourselves another hive working.  This colony was extracted from inside a neighbor's wall.  Couldn't believe the size of it when I got the wall open.  The colony had grown to fill the entire space in the wall. Took several hours inside the suit to get the comb moved and the bees in the new hive.  My wife and I created a large bee compound out of a blue plastic 55-gallon drum.  We cut a hole in the top to accommodate the top of a 2-horse-power Shop-Vac.  We gently vacuumed the bees into the barrel and emptied them into the hive once we got it situated.  Lots of work, but a week later the colony has recovered and is going strong.  We'll see.

Thursday, September 14, 2017

Sunrise: 6:28 am

Sunset: 7:52 pm

Temperature at Noon: 81 degrees

Sun's Angle at Noon: 61 degrees

UV: Moderate

Humidity: 63%

Bees On the Buckwheat

If you grow it, they will come ....

I never thought I could have pride in a field of flowers, but here we are.  Just a handful of snaps from the resurrected buckwheat.



The first time this field came up the plants were nowhere near this healthy-looking.  A ton of lime on the half-acre has really made a difference since the last planting.  This crop is from the original planting; once the flowers went back to seed I mowed it all down, limed the field and tilled everything back in.

The hum on the field is once again very pleasant.  These pictures show that the flowers have yet to fully open.

Thursday, August 17, 2017

Sunrise: 6:10 am
Sunset: 7:27 pm
Temperature at Noon: 85 degrees
Sun's Angle at Noon: 71 degrees
UV: High
Humidity: 71%

Small Hive Beetle Control

I found this interesting article by Jon Zawislak, from the University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture regarding the control of Small Hive Beetles:

http://articles.extension.org/pages/60425/managing-small-hive-beetles

We are trying to deal with beetles right now.  Open to any Alabama suggestions you might have.

We're in the process of trying:

• Sticky paper under the screened bottom board

• Vaseline on the screened bottom board

• Squishin' 'em when we see 'em.

• Vacuuming them out.

• Oil-filled beetle traps between the frames.

We seem to have more than our fair share right now.

Springtime Revisited

Monday, August 14, 2017

Sunrise: 6:08 am
Sunset: 7:30 pm
Temperature at Noon: 90 degrees
Sun's Angle at Noon: 72 degrees
UV: Low
Humidity: 90%

The buckwheat is definitely looking healthy again, but only gets visited by our babies until noon each day.

The lime has definitely helped with the health and abundance of the plants.  I had a soil test done, and they said, "Add this.  Add that," and the chemistry is working wonders.

It looks like springtime again in the field.  This buckwheat is amazing.

We're thinking ahead to fall and are planning to lay down some white clover seed.  Then we thought in the spring we'd scatter some alfalfa and some more buckwheat.  We might have another go with some yellow sweet clover ... we'll see.

Hive Personalities

Monday, July 24, 2017

Sunrise: 5:54 am
Sunset: 7:48 pm
Temperature at Noon: 79 degrees
Sun's Angle: 78 degrees
UV: Very High
Humidity: 72%


At the height of the day the front of hive #1 looks a little sparse, yet activity inside the hive indicates a healthy population. The coming and going from the entrance is constant. At night time everyone is pretty much tucked up inside and no one really comes out till morning.





Hive #2 is a completely different ball of beeswax. Throughout the day there is a constant gathering of chatterboxes pretty much over the front of the whole hive. There is, just like with #1, a constant coming and going, even though it is said we are well past the honey/nectar flow. At night the whole front and landing board is completed covered with little bodies -- unless the temperature is cool, then everyone is inside.



The difference between the two colonies is remarkable. Presently I don't have the experience to know if I should be concerned. This is definitely normal -- for now -- and there doesn't appear to be any distress ... with either hive. I'm keeping a daily eye on things, so we'll see.

The buckwheat has resurfaced.   Last time it took two weeks to flower.  We're watching.

Re-planting the Buckwheat

Wednesday July 19, 2017

Sunrise: 5:51 am
Sunset: 7:51 pm
Temperature at Noon: 90 degrees
Sun's Angle: 78 degrees
UV: Extreme
Humidity: 60%

A couple of days ago I began preparation for tilling the returned-to-seed buckwheat back in.  Things went like this:

• Late in the evening I mowed down the buckwheat which had gone to seed in the field

• Next day I bought and spread two tons of agricultural lime over the acre I mowed down — $30 a ton with free use of the spreader pulled around the field behind our 4WD Silverado

• Later that day I began tilling the seed back in to a depth of about 3-4 inches

• Got lucky with the rain later which drizzled on the newly-tilled field

• Next day pulled a drag around the field to smooth things out (drag looks more or less like this to the left — nothing fancy or complicated)

The field looks gorgeous right now.  We're waiting to see what comes up ... maybe something ... maybe nothing.  We'll see.