# ever use a hive as a lure for hive beetles?



## meganwf (Jul 5, 2005)

First time beekeepers. Installed two hives April 30 here in SE PA. One is doing great. The other? Ugh. First problem was queen laying drones or a worker laying drones. Replaced queen. Then hive beetles. We put just about everything in the freezer, moved them into one box and check it every few days to see if more beetles were hatching. Then we had mysterious robbing going on from outside bees (not the other hive either, these were lighter in color, we call them the "blondies") so we reduced the entrance. Meanwhile we have been giving a frame of brood a week to the weaker hive. 

Opened two days ago and killed one adult beetle and killed two larvae. Today? Ugh. Larvae over the bottom and on one frame. 

Biggest problem is that five days from now we are going on vacation for two weeks. House sitter is caring for elderly dog and chickens rabbits cats rats etc. but he's not up for this challenge of checking every day and squashing beetles etc! 

So what to do with infected weak hive and how to protect stronger one?

Solution? My husband's idea is to lay out black plastic around the infected hive with a tank of water at the front door. His theory is that while we are gone, the larvae will crawl out of the hive to go into the ground for their next life stage but will either fall into the tank of water, or be met with a plastic moat ending that part of their life cycle. 

We return and either freeze the hive completely killing it all or just freeze infected frames depending on how it looks to kill any adults and eggs. This lure will keep the healthy hive going while we are going.

My idea is to just give up and throw the infected hive in the freezer. So far I find beekeeping very frustrating. Thoughts?


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## Michael Bush (Oct 26, 2008)

Shake off the bees and put it in the freezer and enjoy your vacation.


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## meganwf (Jul 5, 2005)

put the whole hive -- woodenware -- in the freezer or just the visibly infected frame? we did take the infected frame out already.


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## Michael Bush (Oct 26, 2008)

If the bees are failing, I'd freeze any affected frames. If you have another hive, put the rest on there for them to guard. If not, I'd freeze them all.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Read a letter to the editor in a resent (June 2010) bee culture mag. It was all about SHB not liking light so the author (Stephen Homewood) used a white opaque lexan cover on his hives to drive the bettles out.

You can get lexan form Lowe's and Home Depot.

 Al


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## DaveMac (Jun 15, 2007)

alleyyooper said:


> Read a letter to the editor in a resent (June 2010) bee culture mag. It was all about SHB not liking light so the author (Stephen Homewood) used a white opaque lexan cover on his hives to drive the bettles out.
> 
> You can get lexan form Lowe's and Home Depot.
> 
> Al


How did this work out. I have also heard of something like this expect the speaker was talking about using smoked opaque plexiglass. Would like to know how this works. Had a hive infested with wax moths. Did not know it before I did a split. The split died out and the first hive I removed the infected frames and the neighboring frames. Going into the hive in the am to see how they are doing.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Letter said it worked great on his test hives so did it to all the rest. Letter was to bring it to the attention of others in hive beatle zones.

 Al


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## DaveMac (Jun 15, 2007)

alleyyooper said:


> Letter said it worked great on his test hives so did it to all the rest. Letter was to bring it to the attention of others in hive beatle zones.
> 
> Al


Thanks


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