You have come a long way BF. I remember when a dozen beetles would send you in full-on panic. I would laugh and say how you’d have a coronary if you ever went in my hives. But I have to say, that #20 was as bad as I’ve ever seen and you seemed quite calm. Proves that strong hives can control beetles. But if that hive would’ve dropped off even a little, it would’ve succumbed. Honestly, the only time I’ve seen that many in a hive, it was on its last leg, so you got some good bees right there. Good little tool you got there.
Hey buddy, that is the second time I sawe beetles like that in the hive. If you see the video from a couple of weeks ago I must have killed a million beetles in that hive. Anyway, I just got back from the bee yard today and there were about 30 new beetles in the hive. I broke out the BS-5K and sent them to their soapy doom :-). That bee yatd went from a beetle breeding ground to a model bee yard :-). I think the beetles may be there from the beehives that are trucked in in the spring and summer to pollinate the farm. Those hives pulled out and the beetles found my hives as a replacement home. Anyway, it's always nice to hear from you Mike. Thanks for stopping in to have a look.
I now realize, I don't have a beetle problem at all. My 20 or so beetles in one of my hives is nothing. That was amazing. Good thing you found & modified that vacuum.
Omg you are the funniest person on planet earth. You are the best Beatle farmer ever . Love your videos keep the that BS, 5000 going . More Beatle videos plzzzzz.
Love your light hearted video even when you have a very serious beetle problem. I like the Baitable Beetle Jail Trip. It's easy to mount without spilling and easy to clean and refill. I have a lot of beetle issues but, I think you take the cake.
Hive beetles can fly 3 miles or so in one flight. Grubex may help for local hive beetles but not for those that migrate. I started to use peppermint oil and that looks promising.
@@FloryJohannsure, but they have to drop to the ground in their larval stage to turn into a beetle. The larvae can’t fly, so it should at least curb the population!
😲daaaaaang. It would be interesting to do an experiment with all those live beetles. Put them in a tote or something escape proof and play with different essential oils and such to see what might repel them in the future. I've been thinking maybe tea tree oil but idk
@BugFarmerBees could be beneficial. Curious how hard they would be to be contained in a clear tote for observation. Could wet different swabs with different essential oils and swap them out or trying different herbs like lavender or sage to see what might repell them most? 🤔
This video is epic! I have never seen so many beetles in my life. I have taken this suggestion and gotten my own vacuum to help with my problem. I also share this tip with as many people as I can find that have SHB issues. - Charles Cromer Back Bee Broken Beekeeping Making beekeeping easier for the everyday beekeeper, especially those with disabilities or limitations!
I am happy you liked it. It is a quick way to reduce the beetle pressure in the hive. The hive featured in this video is one of my strongest hives going into winter. Thanks you for taking the time to stop in and have a look. Take care
I've not tried it myself yet, but some beekeepers here in Oz are reporting that they are having great results placing a few peppermint candies in the bottom of the hive is keeping beetles out, apparently they don't like peppermint! The bees don't mind it, but they will eat the candies, so they need to be replenished. Im yet to try this myself, but it might be worth looking into.
@@Blackswan19874 I just don'tlike the idea of putting peppermint candy (sugar) in my hives because I don't want any peppermint flavor in my honey. Because they are basically sugar I assume the bee will eat the candy. I will try peppermint but only via oil in a cotton ball. Thanks for the great tip. I believe you that it will knock out the beetles.
OMG!! I can't believe how many beetles were in that first hive. Here I'm panicking because I found 2, which might not have been shb now that i think about it. Great video and great SHB vacuum.
I know. It was a crazy day. Up until last season I had a huge beetle problem. Thus far this season I have been given a reprieve for the beetle gods. :-)
Thanks, I have beetle jokes for days: A dung beetle walks into a bar... Is this stool taken? Biologists say Beetles have 6 legs. They forgot about Ringo. Have you heard of the Tic-Tac-Toe Beetle? It has an X-O-skeleton.
HO-LEE-COW, you have a ton of hive beetles. The majority of your hive beetle problem is in the ground where they are pupating. some may say to use a ground drench with permethin.....I for one don't like putting insecticides around the hives. A few years ago I had a lot of hive beetles. I tried putting Heterorhabditis indica nematodes on the ground......I have noticed a HUGE difference in the population.....in fact this year I noticed maybe 3-4 in my hives......next year I will be inoculating them around the hives again.
Read about the life cycle of shb small hive beetle. They have to go to the ground for their larva the grow into a shb. SO eliminate them there by spreading GrubX heavily around the hive. I use two cups per hive covering a 6 foot area and under hive every few months. Cut my shb count greatly. Only a very few in oil traps. Very few runners.
Surely a screen bottom board with a sealed tray underneath with oil or diamataceous (spell?) earth or a fluffy backed vinyl or brushed chux cloth would help a lot.
Absolutely love your video - even if it were just for entertainment value! Keep it up, and your channel will grow, grow, grow! 😊 But I'm missing the promised ... er .. half-promised instructional video on how to modify a car vac to make the "Beetle Sucker 5000." But after looking thru your videos I'm hooked. I suspect my hubby will like your videos too. (He's bored by a lot of other videos that I find helpful. )
I have never seen a hive survive that many beetles. I am beetle free after using peppermint candy, and now peppermint oil. Per hillbilly beekeeper Earl.
I have peppermint growing all around my 2 hives. I'm new to this and didn't think anything of it as I have many herbs growing in my yard. I'm glad to hear that peppermint helps keep some pests away. How do you use the peppermint candy?
@@BugFarmerBees I think you should have them renamed sobs🤣. I just started posting some bee videos myself, gonna give it a try although I can't edit stuff like all you fancy guys do 😆. I just had a bunch of hornets brutalize one of my small hives. Came home to probably 3-4 lbs of bees dead on the ground. Went from a growing hive to almost dead😞. Trying to help them, guess I'll see what happens
Wow! Love the BS 3000! Maybe it's time for an upgrade, THE BS 4,000! Perhaps it could be a solar operated with a funnel and a beetl,e sized screen that attaches to an opening in the side, near the top of the beehive. Or, on that beetle bottom board you showed in this video. I would be a low speed constant vacuum that would allow the bees to herd the beetles into the BS 4000! Oh, oh, maybe it could be centralized unit that has hoses to each beehive. Maybe that should wait for the BS 5000! It could even have a jar attached where the beetles would drop into an anti-beetle solution. Perhaps you could get a grant to develop this idea. I'd be happy to test the prototype. There could be a lot of BS products in your future. Better register a trademark!
Where are you located? I'm having a hard time believing the amount of beetles I saw. I used to keep bees on a property that had a large concrete patio. My boxes were on stands that sat on the patio. I found the least amount of pests in those colonies compared to the ones I keep above grass. Perhaps installing pavers beneith number 20 would help fight beetles. Either way, I love the Beetle Beater 5000. What specific vaccum did you use to build it? Thanks for posting.
Believe it! That was a mess. I am in metro Atlanta Georgia where the summers are hot and humid. Perfect weather for beetles :-). Here is the base vac I used to build the beetle sucker 5000. :-). a.co/d/d2yhhRB
Have you seen the mini mason jar that goes into the corner of the bottom board? Or the red stuff the one guy came up with that gets smeared into the corners of the bottom boards?
I have seen them but I really don't want that in my hive. The BS-5K is reactive and not preventative but it does eliminate 100% of the beetle pressure on a hive when used. I have been using Grub-X on the soil around the hives this year and it also seems to help.
wow love the sucker, however, look up getting some nematodes, let them do all the work for you. beetles will get in anywhere so if theres other gaps in the hive theyll still get in by avoiding the guardian
Not sure if you are going organic route or what, but I use Scott’s Grub-Ex and mix it into top layer of grass/dirt under and around hives and have been lucky in only seeing a beetle here and there so far. I have not checked my big hive on a separate property in three weeks so hopefully I don’t find a crazy surprise there but thus far, Grub-Ex in the dirt has kept my hives to very low beetles.
@@BugFarmerBees that was wild how many beetles poured out of the corners then when you lifted the brood box and exposed the baseboard…WHOA!!! That was crazy! Lol. That vacuum did a number on them!!!
The Bug Farmer Strikes Back! I can hear the star wars music in my head when I say that ;-). Thanks for stopping in to have a look. I really appreciate you taking the time to comment. Take care.
Enjoyed the video, wow! You have no time for inspections having to deal with all the beetles. I have seen more beetles this fall than in the past 3 but maybe 100 or so.
I have heard a lot of good results from using peppermint. I am hesitant to put lard in the hive because I have spilled oil and killed a lot of bees in the past. With the temps we het in GA that lard would be reduced to oil in no time. Thank you for the tips. I really appreciate your input. Take care.
I made it from a small hand VAC. :-). I may do a build on it to show people how to make it if there is enough interest. After this weekend both of my bee yards are beetle free :-)
I built the BS-5K from a a small hand vac. I may do a build video soon if there is enough interest. Thanks for stopping in to have a look and taking the time to comment.
I've never seen that many beetles and I hope I never do. I have a stone slab under my hives and I think that keeps the beetles from getting to the ground and maturing.
I think those beetles come from some other hives on the property that have been a bit neglected. I hope they will be removed some time this season. n the mean time I have the beetle sucker 5000 to send them to their doom :-)
That is insane! Necessity leads to innovation! I did some research and found that SHB has been found several times in my state and north into Canada, but have never made a foothold. The thought is that our soil is too acidic (due to the constant rain) and possibly the cold rainy season too prolonged. (We often have rain right up until the 5th of July, including stretches where it rains for more than 30 days straight.) The ministry of British Columbia determined that the right conditions just don't exist, whereas eastern Canada has infestations. Since these originate from Africa, I think our region is just too different. At least for now until they evolve...
Nice way to catch them, but it still requires you to spot them all and after spotting to catch them all. I think that "all" is a bit overly optimistic.
But it certainly revealed the pressure on the hives. I vacuumed the entire bee yard in under two hours. The hives are much happrier now. I will keep the BS-5K in my bag for emergencies :-)
That is the word on the street. Lot's of folks have suggested it and I am quite sure there is something to it. I suspect it really does work. That said, I have a huge problem putting peppermint candy inside of my hive. Because it is candy (sugar) the bees may eat it. If the bees eat it there is a very good chance it will get into the honey. I don't want to take the chance of fouling my honey. To get around this and still experience the benefit of peppermint in the hive to chase the beetles away I have caged some cotton balls in hardware cloth and put a couple of drops of peppermint oil on them. I will place these in the corners of the hive and see if it works as well as the candy. Thank you for stopping in to have a look and taking the time to drop a suggestion. I really appreciate it. Take care.
Those hive boxes from Bee Castle and the ones you finished are so nice that they attract the hive beetles.... Perhaps I should send you my plain white and even unassembled bee boxes and you send me those hive-beetle attracting boxes. Back to reality: BT bacteria? Nematodes? Praying mantis? Kill em dead
Very inventive way in getting the beetles, but that was not a beetle problem that was a full infestation and I would certainly be using every known method to combat these starting with clearing out under the hive and putting down a salt or other type of bug repellent. then swifter sheets on top rails. People swear by peppermint oil that also repels wax moths. All 3 levels were completely infested a pouring out beetles. You would certainly lose the hive when over wintering the bees
It was. Completely infested but now they are on track for an awesome winter. MNo beetles, no mites, pollen sub and probiotics. There future is now bright :-)
@@BugFarmerBees Good to hear that. That was the first I had ever seen so many beetles in a hive, I worry when I see 10 beetles in a swift sheet. I will be trying peppermint oil next season and see if the results are positive
I wonder why no one has told you to reduce your hive space, take one box off, they the bees can not protect that much space, i use peppermint oil ,drip it where they congregate the most, it takes a day or two but is effective, in your case i would also drip some at the bee entrance, the beetles are drawn to this hive because of the honey odor, peppermint oil eliminates the strong hive odor, good luck ...........
Thanks for all of the info. That was a very strong hive but they were assaulted by an enormous number of beetles. Fortunately for me I had the Beetle Sucker 5000 with me :-). It doesn't keep the beetles out of the hive like peppermint but it can eliminate the beetle pressure in about 5 minutes.
Google search sandpaper hive beetle traps. It traps the larvae when they leave the hive to enter the soil. It mounts under the hive entrance and simple to make. Every one you kill helps, even though they migrate.
@@BugFarmerBees I just now typed in hive beetle sandpaper trap and it’s the first thing that shows up. ResearchGate is the site. If I post the link TH-cam will usually delete it and my comment. I’ve tried sending it to other people. TH-cam doesn’t want you leaving their site. 4 pieces of wood screwed together with a window screen stapled to the bottom and the inside walls of the wood are lined with sandpaper. The larvae supposedly can’t climb sandpaper after they fall inside. They can climb wood and escape. The screen bottom is only there for rain to pass through. It mounts under the front of your bottom board. I haven’t tried it. I use the non disposable oil traps with apple cider vinegar attractant and also beetle barns with combat roach bait inside. I don’t take honey from my bees so I’m not worried about roach bait. I’ve never had it kill bees either. I’ve tried all kinds of the crisco poison recipe’s and they don’t work remotely as good as combat roach bait. I’m in hot Texas and that crisco will melt and run out of the beetle barns. The roach bait doesn’t melt. I think it’s safer than homemade baits because of the melting.
Time for you to buy the Scotts Grub ex & spread it all under & around your hives, whipper snip the grass really short first & then rake it into the grass, the stuff kills the hive beetle grubs, breaking your hive beetles cycle, good luck,
I have looked at it but I don't wantmy bees eating peppermint. It may foul my honey. I have created little screens with cotton balls inside that I will use with peppermint oil. That is part of my 2024 prevention plan.
You are too funny-yet oh my word I have never seen SHBs like that. What????!!!! Strange thing, for three years here in the NE I never saw one. This year we killed about 40 in total all year. I sure hope they stay low in numbers. My friend, as much as I love this new device, and I hate to say it, unless you can get your soul treated, or get your hives off the soil and onto something solid they will be back every year. Great video. Made me laugh.
Lord have mercy that made my skin crawl. You should probably look into poison traps once you get the numbers manageable. That will keep them from building back up and in addition, like another poster recommended, grubx the ground around the hives.
My numbers are now zero after this weekend. I went back through the hives and scored another 50 or so beetles. There are non left now and the bees are happy happy happy. :-)
Will bee keeper you have a serious issue with with your Beatles you need to purchase checkmate beehive pest control strips and saturate those hives also purchase beetle jails and put Max Force in it your vacuum will never get all those beetles and you're going to have maggots throughout your brood box good luck
I hope I have saved myself from the maggots. The bees seemed to be strong enough to prevent the beetles from staying in one place long enough to lay eggs. I checked the hive this weekend and all is looking great. Thanks for the tips.
Keep the grass mowed down short. Use Swiffer towels. Definitely use the Grub granules to spread on the ground around the bases of the hives, it breaks the life cycle of when the beetle grubs crawl out and drop to the ground to pupate. A lot of beekeepers swear by that treatment.
Uhhhh.... Not a skit. Why in the world would I collect hive beetles and put them in a hive. My goal is to remove hive beetles. If you want to see hives with a ton of hive beetles look at some of Mike Barry's ( th-cam.com/video/xcPsV-W462A/w-d-xo.htmlfeature=shared )old videos and Bruces Bees ( th-cam.com/video/Cd0mX07Lqok/w-d-xo.htmlfeature=shared ) next door in Alabama. Hive beetles love the humid weather down here and they thrive in the hive. They are a big deal for us southern beekeepers. Thanks for stopping in to have a look and taking the time to reach out. I really appreciate it. Take care.
Peppermint candies in every corner of every box... if you can keep the girls from eating them, even better. Please try , hillbilly beekeeping has videos I think . You can't do that for years to come or attack new keepers with time consuming methods
Hi Trevor. I appreciate your recommendation and I have seen the hillbilly beekeepers videos. My concern with peppermint candies in the hive is that they are made of sugar and therefore can be eaten by the bees. Whatever goes into the bees will also go into the honey and I do not want any peppermint flavor in my honey. I have used peppermint oil on a caged cotton ball with some success as an alternative. As far as the beetle vac being a long term and time consuming solution, I believe it is a great solution to immediately remove the beetle pressure from an infested hive and I will always keep it in my arsenal. Thanks for stopping in and taking the time to share your opinion. Take care.
No barriers under hive Hives in shade probably not using grubx in the soil might invest in some beetle barns with some boric acid tablets ur beetles will be non existant shortly
ust one of the many pests that are attracted to beehives. Beetles can be very damaging though if not controlled. I was really surprised that hive was able to defend against that onslaught.
The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Acts 5:28-32 King James Version 28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us. 29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. 31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
bro if u have this many SHB in your hive you have something really going on, there should not be this many ever in a hive, something is very wrong with your setup if you have this many, there are ways to setup your hives to keep SHB out of the hive 100%
This was the first year for my hives in this particular location. About 200 yards away are some neglected hives from another beekeeper. I think his beetles found my hive and moved in. The good news was my hive was very strong and the beetles (all 1000 of them) couldn't get a foothold. Thank goodness for the Beetle Sucker 5000. I went from 1000+ beetles in the hive to zero in about 30 minutes. All of that said, the hot and humid summers of Georgia are the perfect environment for hive beetles. Moreover, I have tried every commercial and old-timer gimmick from Guardian entrances to starlight mints in the hive to keep the beetles out and nothing works 100%. If you know of a way please share.
@@BugFarmerBees have you tried PVC tubes? when I first started on my own about 5 years ago I had SHB problems I was always battling them, my bud told me to use PVC tubes for my hive entrances instead of those junk expensive commercial stuff that don't work 90% of the time, basically you seal the current straight entrance remove the landing board, drill 3 to 5 holes for small 3/4" or if u want 1" PVC tubes to be placed very snug into the holes. place the 3 to 5 PVC tubes in the holes angle them slightly downwards and your SHB problem should be solved 100% it worked for me I have not had a single SHB in my hive since I did that, and it also helps the bees with defense of the hive. and also make sure there are zero gaps, zero small cracks or any damage to your current boxes, if so fill in the damage, cracks and gaps. what the PVC tubes do is prevents the beetles from entering, the way this works is that the beetles cannot hover in the air so they cant hover outside the tube to line up with it, so they have to land behind it on the hive outside walls and crawl on the top of the tube. when they crawl on the top to the entrance of the pvc tube the shell they have is not able to bend around the tube so they fall off. remove all the grass around the hives, and also to lower the numbers of SHB if for some reason the tubes do not work is places a bunch of gravel to where the SHB broods have to crawl in direct sunlight to make it to the dirt the vast majority will die from the heat of the sun before they make it. hope this helps, if you have any other issues you would like suggestions for just let me know, I have 9 years of commercial beekeeping experience on my grandfathers bee farm, and 5 years by myself, I have a ton of information within my head.
This is useless. So much time and spent nearly for nothing. Collecting half of the beetles won't help as they multiple quickly. Unless you did something which prevents their growth without you doing catching
I really appreciate your optimism. I actually collected all of the beetles from that hive and completely reduced the beetle pressure in an otherwise doomed hive in a span of about 10 minutes. The BS-5K saved that and many other hives in my bee yards last summer. I have been battling SHB here in the south for the past 5 years and this season I claimed victory thanks to the beetle-vac. No oil traps inside the hive (which is also catching them), no bottom-board beetle traps, no insecticide in side the hive, no peppermint candy inside the hive to taint the honey, and no more gimmicks like the Guardian Entrance. I'll stick with Grub-X and the Beetle Sucker 5000. Thanks for stopping in to have a look and I appreciate you taking the time to drop a comment. Take care.
You have come a long way BF. I remember when a dozen beetles would send you in full-on panic. I would laugh and say how you’d have a coronary if you ever went in my hives. But I have to say, that #20 was as bad as I’ve ever seen and you seemed quite calm. Proves that strong hives can control beetles. But if that hive would’ve dropped off even a little, it would’ve succumbed. Honestly, the only time I’ve seen that many in a hive, it was on its last leg, so you got some good bees right there. Good little tool you got there.
Hey buddy, that is the second time I sawe beetles like that in the hive. If you see the video from a couple of weeks ago I must have killed a million beetles in that hive. Anyway, I just got back from the bee yard today and there were about 30 new beetles in the hive. I broke out the BS-5K and sent them to their soapy doom :-). That bee yatd went from a beetle breeding ground to a model bee yard :-). I think the beetles may be there from the beehives that are trucked in in the spring and summer to pollinate the farm. Those hives pulled out and the beetles found my hives as a replacement home. Anyway, it's always nice to hear from you Mike. Thanks for stopping in to have a look.
I now realize, I don't have a beetle problem at all. My 20 or so beetles in one of my hives is nothing. That was amazing. Good thing you found & modified that vacuum.
I'll try anything to curtail my beetle situation. The BS-5K is beetle sucking magic :-)
Omg you are the funniest person on planet earth. You are the best Beatle farmer ever . Love your videos keep the that BS, 5000 going . More Beatle videos plzzzzz.
Thanks again. Much appreciated.
Love your light hearted video even when you have a very serious beetle problem. I like the Baitable Beetle Jail Trip. It's easy to mount without spilling and easy to clean and refill. I have a lot of beetle issues but, I think you take the cake.
Thanks Richard. Yep, just one use of the BS-5K and all of the beetle troubles are gone. I think the bees were happy after that inspection. :-)
Put grubbx down on the ground
Hive beetles can fly 3 miles or so in one flight.
Grubex may help for local hive beetles but not for those that migrate.
I started to use peppermint oil and that looks promising.
bad idea if your bees get minerals from the wet ground like mine do 😬
@@FloryJohann How is that going?
@@FloryJohannsure, but they have to drop to the ground in their larval stage to turn into a beetle. The larvae can’t fly, so it should at least curb the population!
We are trying nematodes first and if that doesn’t help, going with the grub x. It’s a real problem for one of our yards.
Now that was an awesome video. I loved the sweet Hive Beetle Eraser 5000!!! Worked great!
There must be a poem in there somewhere :-)
I haven’t seen a beatle infestation like you have but we tried planting mint around the hives and have seen a reduction in the number of hive beatles
THAT IS A FANTASTIC IDEA! Thank you.
I’m planting mint and oregano around mine. I’m also using hive beetle traps with olive oil and putting diatomaceous earth around the hive stand legs.
@@stephenjung6582 Love that idea.
😲daaaaaang. It would be interesting to do an experiment with all those live beetles. Put them in a tote or something escape proof and play with different essential oils and such to see what might repel them in the future. I've been thinking maybe tea tree oil but idk
I'll send you a bag of them :-). Actually, that is a great idea.
@BugFarmerBees could be beneficial. Curious how hard they would be to be contained in a clear tote for observation. Could wet different swabs with different essential oils and swap them out or trying different herbs like lavender or sage to see what might repell them most? 🤔
This video is epic! I have never seen so many beetles in my life. I have taken this suggestion and gotten my own vacuum to help with my problem. I also share this tip with as many people as I can find that have SHB issues.
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Charles Cromer
Back Bee Broken Beekeeping
Making beekeeping easier for the everyday beekeeper, especially those with disabilities or limitations!
I am happy you liked it. It is a quick way to reduce the beetle pressure in the hive. The hive featured in this video is one of my strongest hives going into winter. Thanks you for taking the time to stop in and have a look. Take care
I've not tried it myself yet, but some beekeepers here in Oz are reporting that they are having great results placing a few peppermint candies in the bottom of the hive is keeping beetles out, apparently they don't like peppermint! The bees don't mind it, but they will eat the candies, so they need to be replenished. Im yet to try this myself, but it might be worth looking into.
I will be using a cotton ball in a wire cage with peppermint oil next season.
@@Tanks-In-Space it's could be placed under a screened bottom board.
The candies do work but you need to make sure they have real peppermint oil in them , eliminated our hive beetles in about 2 weeks
@@Blackswan19874 I just don'tlike the idea of putting peppermint candy (sugar) in my hives because I don't want any peppermint flavor in my honey. Because they are basically sugar I assume the bee will eat the candy. I will try peppermint but only via oil in a cotton ball. Thanks for the great tip. I believe you that it will knock out the beetles.
@@BugFarmerBeescouldn’t you do an oil pan under a screen bottom with peppermint oil in it?
Beyond Awesome.
Great job!!!
Too bad there isn't a market for beetle juice.
Just don't say that two more times :-). th-cam.com/video/wLw3SVzu4rk/w-d-xo.html
OMG!! I can't believe how many beetles were in that first hive. Here I'm panicking because I found 2, which might not have been shb now that i think about it.
Great video and great SHB vacuum.
I know. It was a crazy day. Up until last season I had a huge beetle problem. Thus far this season I have been given a reprieve for the beetle gods. :-)
love your sense of humour! 😂
Thanks, I have beetle jokes for days:
A dung beetle walks into a bar...
Is this stool taken?
Biologists say Beetles have 6 legs.
They forgot about Ringo.
Have you heard of the Tic-Tac-Toe Beetle?
It has an X-O-skeleton.
HO-LEE-COW, you have a ton of hive beetles. The majority of your hive beetle problem is in the ground where they are pupating. some may say to use a ground drench with permethin.....I for one don't like putting insecticides around the hives. A few years ago I had a lot of hive beetles. I tried putting Heterorhabditis indica nematodes on the ground......I have noticed a HUGE difference in the population.....in fact this year I noticed maybe 3-4 in my hives......next year I will be inoculating them around the hives again.
HO-LEE-COW is right! I do plan on treating the ground around the hives for grubs and ants next season.
@@BugFarmerBees Ants don't seem to stop the hive beetles in my hives.
Great stuff man. New subscriber here! I need one of those vacuums.
It is a quick way to relieve beetle pressure in the hive and take revenge on the beetles.
Where to get that vacuum
That is an insane amount of SHB! Good idea with the vac with a modification just for SHB! I'm surprised there was no SHB larvae in that hive.
I is a strong hive. :-)
They were bad here and I used dixie towels and salt around the hives and I'm going to try the grub x this fall when we start getting some rain.
The battle rages on!
Read about the life cycle of shb small hive beetle. They have to go to the ground for their larva the grow into a shb. SO eliminate them there by spreading GrubX heavily around the hive. I use two cups per hive covering a 6 foot area and under hive every few months. Cut my shb count greatly. Only a very few in oil traps. Very few runners.
I used the Grub-X this year and my hive beetle situation drastically improved.
@@BugFarmerBeesCool. Over use and expect over expectations.
Surely a screen bottom board with a sealed tray underneath with oil or diamataceous (spell?) earth or a fluffy backed vinyl or brushed chux cloth would help a lot.
All of those sound like great ideas. That said, the BS-%K took me from thousands of beetles to zero in about 10 minutes :-)
Absolutely love your video - even if it were just for entertainment value! Keep it up, and your channel will grow, grow, grow! 😊
But I'm missing the promised ... er .. half-promised instructional video on how to modify a car vac to make the "Beetle Sucker 5000." But after looking thru your videos I'm hooked. I suspect my hubby will like your videos too. (He's bored by a lot of other videos that I find helpful. )
Coming soon. I will be making a BS-%K build next month for sure. I have to send one out to a fellow TH-camr who has a similar beetle nightmare :-)
I have never seen a hive survive that many beetles.
I am beetle free after using peppermint candy, and now peppermint oil. Per hillbilly beekeeper Earl.
I think the peppermint oil is the way to go. Hillbilly Earl has it dialed in.
I have peppermint growing all around my 2 hives. I'm new to this and didn't think anything of it as I have many herbs growing in my yard. I'm glad to hear that peppermint helps keep some pests away. How do you use the peppermint candy?
That was an insane amount of beetles my friend
I know right :-)
@@BugFarmerBees I think you should have them renamed sobs🤣. I just started posting some bee videos myself, gonna give it a try although I can't edit stuff like all you fancy guys do 😆. I just had a bunch of hornets brutalize one of my small hives. Came home to probably 3-4 lbs of bees dead on the ground. Went from a growing hive to almost dead😞. Trying to help them, guess I'll see what happens
Wow! Love the BS 3000! Maybe it's time for an upgrade, THE BS 4,000! Perhaps it could be a solar operated with a funnel and a beetl,e sized screen that attaches to an opening in the side, near the top of the beehive. Or, on that beetle bottom board you showed in this video. I would be a low speed constant vacuum that would allow the bees to herd the beetles into the BS 4000! Oh, oh, maybe it could be centralized unit that has hoses to each beehive. Maybe that should wait for the BS 5000! It could even have a jar attached where the beetles would drop into an anti-beetle solution. Perhaps you could get a grant to develop this idea. I'd be happy to test the prototype. There could be a lot of BS products in your future. Better register a trademark!
The BS-5K is the answer. Remove all beetles in one go and completely eliminate the beetle pressure on the hive.
Where are you located? I'm having a hard time believing the amount of beetles I saw. I used to keep bees on a property that had a large concrete patio. My boxes were on stands that sat on the patio. I found the least amount of pests in those colonies compared to the ones I keep above grass. Perhaps installing pavers beneith number 20 would help fight beetles. Either way, I love the Beetle Beater 5000. What specific vaccum did you use to build it? Thanks for posting.
Believe it! That was a mess. I am in metro Atlanta Georgia where the summers are hot and humid. Perfect weather for beetles :-). Here is the base vac I used to build the beetle sucker 5000. :-). a.co/d/d2yhhRB
Have you seen the mini mason jar that goes into the corner of the bottom board? Or the red stuff the one guy came up with that gets smeared into the corners of the bottom boards?
I have seen them but I really don't want that in my hive. The BS-5K is reactive and not preventative but it does eliminate 100% of the beetle pressure on a hive when used. I have been using Grub-X on the soil around the hives this year and it also seems to help.
Bruce Wallace makes a fantastic product called BeetleBuster baseboard. I’ve had zero beetles in my hives that I installed these on.
To be honest I think I have one of those in the basement still in the box. I'll have to dig around and see if I can find it.
Thank you for the build info.
You are welcome.
Awesome ending!
It took me an hour to count all of those beetles :-)
Remove Bee Boxes roto till soil and plant Crimson Clover for Bee Food...plant and acre per hive
wow love the sucker, however, look up getting some nematodes, let them do all the work for you. beetles will get in anywhere so if theres other gaps in the hive theyll still get in by avoiding the guardian
i have been using grub-x on the soil around the hives this year and the situation has approved.
Not sure if you are going organic route or what, but I use Scott’s Grub-Ex and mix it into top layer of grass/dirt under and around hives and have been lucky in only seeing a beetle here and there so far.
I have not checked my big hive on a separate property in three weeks so hopefully I don’t find a crazy surprise there but thus far, Grub-Ex in the dirt has kept my hives to very low beetles.
I will be using Grub-X and a ground based ant killer next season. I had beetles on an open feeder yesterday. It was crazy.
@@BugFarmerBees that was wild how many beetles poured out of the corners then when you lifted the brood box and exposed the baseboard…WHOA!!!
That was crazy! Lol.
That vacuum did a number on them!!!
What is the make and model number of the hand held vac you used in this video..thanks
Here is the VAC: a.co/d/35Wlbk6
...and here is how you turn it into the Beetle Sucker 5000: th-cam.com/video/Of_G36a79Ww/w-d-xo.html
Good video. Where did you get the vacuum? Thanks
I modified a hand vacuum I bought from Amazon
Thanks@@BugFarmerBees
Was the Apivar for mites or does it help eradicate SHBs too?
I have never heard anything about the efficacy of Apivar when used for small hive beetles. Maybe I will catch a few and do an experiment :-)
Have u tried the swiffer pad trick? I see some bee keepers using them.
I haven't yet but it is in my arsenal for next season.
@@BugFarmerBees Awesome.
That's a pretty effective tool. I think going back to screened bottoms with an oil pan below would do wonders for you.
This was a great video- such incredibly pesky parasites of our beloved bees. So fun and satisfying to watch them be conquered!
The Bug Farmer Strikes Back! I can hear the star wars music in my head when I say that ;-). Thanks for stopping in to have a look. I really appreciate you taking the time to comment. Take care.
very effective but that is a lot of beetles. i would be trying to control "between treatments" too
This year I put Grub-X on the ground to slow the infestation. This far it has worked and my beetle situation this year is much better.
Where is this product? Couldn't find it on your website or Amazon.
I made it. Here is how you can build your own: th-cam.com/video/Of_G36a79Ww/w-d-xo.html
@@BugFarmerBees thank you!
Enjoyed the video, wow! You have no time for inspections having to deal with all the beetles. I have seen more beetles this fall than in the past 3 but maybe 100 or so.
I spent all weekend inspecting every hive in both apiary. I am working hard to turn up the queens brood production for winter ;-)
That is the very thing I have been looking for but could not find one with that small end ????
I will do a video on how to make one. It is a car vac with the end modified. It works wonders!!! My bee yards are beetle free now :-)
Supposedly lard with lemon-balm or peppermint oil helps as well.
I have heard a lot of good results from using peppermint. I am hesitant to put lard in the hive because I have spilled oil and killed a lot of bees in the past. With the temps we het in GA that lard would be reduced to oil in no time. Thank you for the tips. I really appreciate your input. Take care.
GOOD ONE…. a future best seller!😅
They are easy to make and will certainly relieve beetle pressure on a hive.
Watching this I suddenly don't feel so bad about opening my hive today and stressing over 10-15 beetles 😅
:-)
Just like playing games from that old atari. Looks like you should rename that one from bee castle to beetle castle lol
I am a beetle keeper :-)
Where did you purchase that beetle sucker
I made it from a small hand VAC. :-). I may do a build on it to show people how to make it if there is enough interest. After this weekend both of my bee yards are beetle free :-)
Where do you buy the beetle sucker 5ooo ?
Here is the build video: th-cam.com/video/Of_G36a79Ww/w-d-xo.html
How about the larvae ?
I gotthem before they could lay eggs. The good news was that hive was very strong.
Surprisingly the bees don't go crazy as they hate high pitch devices
Bees can't hear. They can only feel vibrations.
God video question where did u get the bbk from it woud be nice to have one thanks
I built the BS-5K from a a small hand vac. I may do a build video soon if there is enough interest. Thanks for stopping in to have a look and taking the time to comment.
I’m definitely interested in the BS-5k!!!
Man , I was very closed to be a beekeeper until saw your this video :) I respect your motivation but I think Im not ready for this fight :)
You are ready. Beekeeping is exciting and fun and requires real-time problem solving. I hope you reconsider and set up a couple of hives.
You should sell that contraption! I’d buy
Maybe soon. I have a few irons in the fire.
@@BugFarmerBees how did you fab it? I have beetle issues
I've never seen that many beetles and I hope I never do. I have a stone slab under my hives and I think that keeps the beetles from getting to the ground and maturing.
I think those beetles come from some other hives on the property that have been a bit neglected. I hope they will be removed some time this season. n the mean time I have the beetle sucker 5000 to send them to their doom :-)
That is insane! Necessity leads to innovation! I did some research and found that SHB has been found several times in my state and north into Canada, but have never made a foothold. The thought is that our soil is too acidic (due to the constant rain) and possibly the cold rainy season too prolonged. (We often have rain right up until the 5th of July, including stretches where it rains for more than 30 days straight.) The ministry of British Columbia determined that the right conditions just don't exist, whereas eastern Canada has infestations. Since these originate from Africa, I think our region is just too different. At least for now until they evolve...
They seem to love the hot humid south. My friend @MikeBarryBees has a huge issue with them in Louisiana too. The beetles like it sweaty.
that was awesome! where can I get one?
I have had enough requests that I will make a build video. It is very easy to build.
Where can I get one please.
Here is the base vac: a.co/d/gOq6gXr
Here is how you make it: th-cam.com/video/Of_G36a79Ww/w-d-xo.htmlfeature=shared
Nice way to catch them, but it still requires you to spot them all and after spotting to catch them all. I think that "all" is a bit overly optimistic.
But it certainly revealed the pressure on the hives. I vacuumed the entire bee yard in under two hours. The hives are much happrier now. I will keep the BS-5K in my bag for emergencies :-)
@@BugFarmerBeesthere is no "But". The thumbnail and title are clickbait.
Try putting peppermint candy in your hives. It works.
That is the word on the street. Lot's of folks have suggested it and I am quite sure there is something to it. I suspect it really does work. That said, I have a huge problem putting peppermint candy inside of my hive. Because it is candy (sugar) the bees may eat it. If the bees eat it there is a very good chance it will get into the honey. I don't want to take the chance of fouling my honey. To get around this and still experience the benefit of peppermint in the hive to chase the beetles away I have caged some cotton balls in hardware cloth and put a couple of drops of peppermint oil on them. I will place these in the corners of the hive and see if it works as well as the candy. Thank you for stopping in to have a look and taking the time to drop a suggestion. I really appreciate it. Take care.
Good lord and i thought 5 or 10 were bad but i like the little vacuum
The beetle sucker 5000 to the rescue :-)
Those hive boxes from Bee Castle and the ones you finished are so nice that they attract the hive beetles....
Perhaps I should send you my plain white and even unassembled bee boxes and you send me those hive-beetle attracting boxes.
Back to reality: BT bacteria? Nematodes? Praying mantis?
Kill em dead
I actually had hive beetles show up at my bee feeders yesterday. I have never seen beetles attracted to plain sugar syrup. Crazy times.
@@BugFarmerBees I don't know how your drought was here in Central Texas I'm not seeing an increase in Hive beetles in fact very few
Is that available for sale
Here is a build video. th-cam.com/video/Of_G36a79Ww/w-d-xo.html So far this season I am almost beetle free :-).
@@BugFarmerBees thanks for the update will be putting one together myself
So, ya gonna tell us how to make a BS5000 ?😊
I think I might. I have had a few requests so I guess I will put a video together this winter :-)
That's pretty handy sucking up all Beatles my friend
I am mailing your honey today :-)
@@BugFarmerBees sweet I'm excited thank you my friend
My hives are in full shade and i don’t have that many beetles. Worst hive i might see 3-5 beetles.
Where are you located. The further south, the higher the humidity, the more hive beetles. But that's okay, I have the Beetle Sucker 5000 :-)
@@BugFarmerBees south east tn
Holy beetle vac bug man that was pretty funny! Bob Walker has some api tables that are really reducing both mites and beetles check em out!
Awesome. Can you send me a link?
@@BugFarmerBees th-cam.com/video/RpTIepw5fOI/w-d-xo.htmlsi=RCb5CoDDZwy6lugI
Very inventive way in getting the beetles, but that was not a beetle problem that was a full infestation and I would certainly be using every known method to combat these starting with clearing out under the hive and putting down a salt or other type of bug repellent. then swifter sheets on top rails. People swear by peppermint oil that also repels wax moths. All 3 levels were completely infested a pouring out beetles. You would certainly lose the hive when over wintering the bees
It was. Completely infested but now they are on track for an awesome winter. MNo beetles, no mites, pollen sub and probiotics. There future is now bright :-)
@@BugFarmerBees Good to hear that. That was the first I had ever seen so many beetles in a hive, I worry when I see 10 beetles in a swift sheet. I will be trying peppermint oil next season and see if the results are positive
Is your hive directly on the soil? No wonder you've got beetles.
They are on stands. What do you suggest?
I know I. Late to the party but give beetle buster bottom boards a try
I actually have one still in the box down in my shop. Maybe I'll add it to a hive this weekend. Thanks for the reminder.
I wonder why no one has told you to reduce your hive space, take one box off, they the bees can not protect that much space, i use peppermint oil ,drip it where they congregate the most, it takes a day or two but is effective, in your case i would also drip some at the bee entrance, the beetles are drawn to this hive because of the honey odor, peppermint oil eliminates the strong hive odor, good luck ...........
Thanks for all of the info. That was a very strong hive but they were assaulted by an enormous number of beetles. Fortunately for me I had the Beetle Sucker 5000 with me :-). It doesn't keep the beetles out of the hive like peppermint but it can eliminate the beetle pressure in about 5 minutes.
Google search sandpaper hive beetle traps. It traps the larvae when they leave the hive to enter the soil. It mounts under the hive entrance and simple to make. Every one you kill helps, even though they migrate.
I looked and couldn't find them. Can you send a link?
@@BugFarmerBees I just now typed in hive beetle sandpaper trap and it’s the first thing that shows up. ResearchGate is the site. If I post the link TH-cam will usually delete it and my comment. I’ve tried sending it to other people. TH-cam doesn’t want you leaving their site. 4 pieces of wood screwed together with a window screen stapled to the bottom and the inside walls of the wood are lined with sandpaper. The larvae supposedly can’t climb sandpaper after they fall inside. They can climb wood and escape. The screen bottom is only there for rain to pass through. It mounts under the front of your bottom board. I haven’t tried it. I use the non disposable oil traps with apple cider vinegar attractant and also beetle barns with combat roach bait inside. I don’t take honey from my bees so I’m not worried about roach bait. I’ve never had it kill bees either. I’ve tried all kinds of the crisco poison recipe’s and they don’t work remotely as good as combat roach bait. I’m in hot Texas and that crisco will melt and run out of the beetle barns. The roach bait doesn’t melt. I think it’s safer than homemade baits because of the melting.
Type in hive beetle sandpaper trap. It’s the first link that shows up. TH-cam deletes my comment when I post the link. It’s Research Gate.
Got it, thanks.
Wow that was and insane amount off Beatles
Not any more :-). Beetle Sucker 5000!!!
Time for you to buy the Scotts Grub ex & spread it all under & around your hives, whipper snip the grass really short first & then rake it into the grass, the stuff kills the hive beetle grubs, breaking your hive beetles cycle, good luck,
Just ordered it. Thank you for the reminder. :-)
The bees do a great job of trapping the beetles in the hives. Until we open the lid
Now that I have removed the beetles the bees can get on with their work of hitting the goldenrod that just bloomed :-)
You may want to look at the peppermint candy shb treatment
I have looked at it but I don't wantmy bees eating peppermint. It may foul my honey. I have created little screens with cotton balls inside that I will use with peppermint oil. That is part of my 2024 prevention plan.
I've never seen so many SHB.
Me either. It must have been a convention.
To quote “ the beetle’s suck “!
Yes they do! Amen!
WOW
The BS-5K :-)
Man you've always had some shb issues. I might see 10 a year in each colony, I just don't hardly get em
Dammm, I never seen so much Beetles in a beehive. It's kind of infestation. It must be a better way of dealing with them. Some kind of remedy?
I was raising beetles in that hive. The bees were only there to provide food.
You have a bee infestation in your beetle hive!
HA! I wish beetles made honey. Wonder how much I can get for a pound of beetle slime :-)
1386...... NICE
Bug Farmer strikes back. I need to get a Yoda.
Battle Of The Bettles. Next new super hit.
That was a crazy day. This year I am using the Beetle Sucker 5000 to keep all beetles away :-)
You are too funny-yet oh my word I have never seen SHBs like that. What????!!!!
Strange thing, for three years here in the NE I never saw one. This year we killed about 40 in total all year. I sure hope they stay low in numbers.
My friend, as much as I love this new device, and I hate to say it, unless you can get your soul treated, or get your hives off the soil and onto something solid they will be back every year. Great video. Made me laugh.
Next year is the year of Grub-X soil treatment :-)
I second that (grubb x)
I have spread grub-x on the ground in both bee yards this season. It seems to be helping.
Lord have mercy that made my skin crawl. You should probably look into poison traps once you get the numbers manageable. That will keep them from building back up and in addition, like another poster recommended, grubx the ground around the hives.
My numbers are now zero after this weekend. I went back through the hives and scored another 50 or so beetles. There are non left now and the bees are happy happy happy. :-)
I ain't ever seen an infestation like that ! How often do your colony's abscond ? How is your honey not rancid 🤢
The BS-5K can take care of a beetle situation in about 5 minutes. No more beetles.
Will bee keeper you have a serious issue with with your Beatles you need to purchase checkmate beehive pest control strips and saturate those hives also purchase beetle jails and put Max Force in it your vacuum will never get all those beetles and you're going to have maggots throughout your brood box good luck
I hope I have saved myself from the maggots. The bees seemed to be strong enough to prevent the beetles from staying in one place long enough to lay eggs. I checked the hive this weekend and all is looking great. Thanks for the tips.
and i thought i had a lot.... that's CRAZY!
I know right! The good news is the hive survived. Go Beetle Sucker 5000 :-)
Beetles are attracted to the smell of sour honey,,,, apparently. .food for thought anyway
Thank you for the tip.
The 3000. 😂
It could be a movie. :-)
😮this is crazy, there's more SHB than bees 😢
After 10 minutes with the Beetle Sucker 5000 the beetle pressure on that hive was completely eliminated. :-)
Keep the grass mowed down short. Use Swiffer towels. Definitely use the Grub granules to spread on the ground around the bases of the hives, it breaks the life cycle of when the beetle grubs crawl out and drop to the ground to pupate. A lot of beekeepers swear by that treatment.
That is my plan for next season. Thanks for the advice.
He collected all those Hive beetles and dumped them in their is this a damn comedy skit or what
Uhhhh.... Not a skit. Why in the world would I collect hive beetles and put them in a hive. My goal is to remove hive beetles. If you want to see hives with a ton of hive beetles look at some of Mike Barry's ( th-cam.com/video/xcPsV-W462A/w-d-xo.htmlfeature=shared )old videos and Bruces Bees ( th-cam.com/video/Cd0mX07Lqok/w-d-xo.htmlfeature=shared ) next door in Alabama. Hive beetles love the humid weather down here and they thrive in the hive. They are a big deal for us southern beekeepers. Thanks for stopping in to have a look and taking the time to reach out. I really appreciate it. Take care.
You need Grub X
I have Grub-X all over the bee yard.
@@BugFarmerBees wow you must have some bad bee neighbors. Wish you luck. I’d say that beetle vac is definitely your best solution.
Man u have an infestation 😮
I did.... But..... the beetle sucker 5000 took care of it in about 10 minutes. :-)
Peppermint candies in every corner of every box... if you can keep the girls from eating them, even better. Please try , hillbilly beekeeping has videos I think . You can't do that for years to come or attack new keepers with time consuming methods
Hi Trevor. I appreciate your recommendation and I have seen the hillbilly beekeepers videos. My concern with peppermint candies in the hive is that they are made of sugar and therefore can be eaten by the bees. Whatever goes into the bees will also go into the honey and I do not want any peppermint flavor in my honey. I have used peppermint oil on a caged cotton ball with some success as an alternative. As far as the beetle vac being a long term and time consuming solution, I believe it is a great solution to immediately remove the beetle pressure from an infested hive and I will always keep it in my arsenal. Thanks for stopping in and taking the time to share your opinion. Take care.
No barriers under hive Hives in shade probably not using grubx in the soil might invest in some beetle barns with some boric acid tablets ur beetles will be non existant shortly
Or..... I can use the Beetle Sucker 5000. :-)
@@BugFarmerBees meanwhile still not doing to reduce #'s there just going to come back since your not treating the ground but carry on lol
amazing that the bees were herding them into the corner so you could suck them up. they look disgusting.
ust one of the many pests that are attracted to beehives. Beetles can be very damaging though if not controlled. I was really surprised that hive was able to defend against that onslaught.
The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.
Acts 5:28-32
King James Version
28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.
29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.
31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
Thank you.
Check out Nature's image Farm, he has a Beetle murder sauce for them
I saw the murder sauce and will probably give it a shot.
bro if u have this many SHB in your hive you have something really going on, there should not be this many ever in a hive, something is very wrong with your setup if you have this many, there are ways to setup your hives to keep SHB out of the hive 100%
This was the first year for my hives in this particular location. About 200 yards away are some neglected hives from another beekeeper. I think his beetles found my hive and moved in. The good news was my hive was very strong and the beetles (all 1000 of them) couldn't get a foothold. Thank goodness for the Beetle Sucker 5000. I went from 1000+ beetles in the hive to zero in about 30 minutes. All of that said, the hot and humid summers of Georgia are the perfect environment for hive beetles. Moreover, I have tried every commercial and old-timer gimmick from Guardian entrances to starlight mints in the hive to keep the beetles out and nothing works 100%. If you know of a way please share.
@@BugFarmerBees have you tried PVC tubes? when I first started on my own about 5 years ago I had SHB problems I was always battling them, my bud told me to use PVC tubes for my hive entrances instead of those junk expensive commercial stuff that don't work 90% of the time, basically you seal the current straight entrance remove the landing board, drill 3 to 5 holes for small 3/4" or if u want 1" PVC tubes to be placed very snug into the holes.
place the 3 to 5 PVC tubes in the holes angle them slightly downwards and your SHB problem should be solved 100% it worked for me I have not had a single SHB in my hive since I did that, and it also helps the bees with defense of the hive.
and also make sure there are zero gaps, zero small cracks or any damage to your current boxes, if so fill in the damage, cracks and gaps.
what the PVC tubes do is prevents the beetles from entering, the way this works is that the beetles cannot hover in the air so they cant hover outside the tube to line up with it, so they have to land behind it on the hive outside walls and crawl on the top of the tube.
when they crawl on the top to the entrance of the pvc tube the shell they have is not able to bend around the tube so they fall off.
remove all the grass around the hives, and also to lower the numbers of SHB if for some reason the tubes do not work is places a bunch of gravel to where the SHB broods have to crawl in direct sunlight to make it to the dirt the vast majority will die from the heat of the sun before they make it.
hope this helps, if you have any other issues you would like suggestions for just let me know, I have 9 years of commercial beekeeping experience on my grandfathers bee farm, and 5 years by myself, I have a ton of information within my head.
I hate those things!
Me too!
This is useless. So much time and spent nearly for nothing. Collecting half of the beetles won't help as they multiple quickly. Unless you did something which prevents their growth without you doing catching
I really appreciate your optimism. I actually collected all of the beetles from that hive and completely reduced the beetle pressure in an otherwise doomed hive in a span of about 10 minutes. The BS-5K saved that and many other hives in my bee yards last summer. I have been battling SHB here in the south for the past 5 years and this season I claimed victory thanks to the beetle-vac. No oil traps inside the hive (which is also catching them), no bottom-board beetle traps, no insecticide in side the hive, no peppermint candy inside the hive to taint the honey, and no more gimmicks like the Guardian Entrance. I'll stick with Grub-X and the Beetle Sucker 5000. Thanks for stopping in to have a look and I appreciate you taking the time to drop a comment. Take care.