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.
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. :-)
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
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.
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? 🤔
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
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. )
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...
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.
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!!!
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'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 :-)
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
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.
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 :-)
Here is the VAC: a.co/d/35Wlbk6 ...and here is how you turn it into the Beetle Sucker 5000: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Of_G36a79Ww.html
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
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.
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 RU-vid will usually delete it and my comment. I’ve tried sending it to other people. RU-vid 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.
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 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 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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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 ( ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-xcPsV-W462A.htmlfeature=shared )old videos and Bruces Bees ( ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Cd0mX07Lqok.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.
