boric acid questions

[mamapoppybee]

How many use boric acid to treat there hives? How effective is it for you in the battle of the hive beetle? What are the pros and cons you have discovered during use? Thanks in advance

[Intheswamp]

Weird, I could've sworn I saw this message the other day and was going to respond today seeing that nobody else had....so maybe I was walking in the Twilight Zone for a few minutes... 

Anyhow, I tried a sugar/boric acid mix for ants and it seemed to help some.  I simple got some cheap plastic containers, punched ant sized holes in it and poured the bait in.  I placed these beneath my hives between the cement block stands.  I haven't tried using BA for beetles, though, only Beetle Jail Jrs and oil trays.  The Beetle Jails seem to do the trick for me, along with bees that love to glue everything together.

Ed

[iddee]

Boraxo is cheaper and works just as well.

[mamapoppybee]

ok idee how dose i use the borax application

[iddee]

Mix 50/50 with sugar and place where the ants can get it, but not the bees.

[Intheswamp]

Mix 50/50 with sugar and place where the ants can get it, but not the bees.

I think she's mostly concerned with beetles, iddee.

Ed

[mamapoppybee]

yes want to know of cures for beetles

[Intheswamp]

Full sun, strong populations, oil traps, Guardstar soil drench (but only helps "after the fact").  I'm also under the impression that dry, arid conditions help.  Going beyond these often noted methods would probably mean going to some type of off-label use of something.  The problem is that beetles will keep coming, thus you have to keep doing "something"...my "something" is oil traps along with full sun and doing my best to keep strong hives.

I think Mite-Away-Quick-Strips have been mentioned as killing beetles, but again, more beetles will come so a waiting trap is good.

Ed

[iddee]

What he said.

[Lburou]

Is she talking about a bait in the hive using corrugated plastic with crisco plugging the ends of the voids and boric acid in the center?  The beetles are supposedly drawn to the crisco, go into the void and die from contact with boric acid.  Bees can't get into the small space so they are safe.  Maybe she is asking about one of those CD-ROM case traps.....?

I tried it....no dead beetles.  But maybe its just my technique.   

[Slowmodem]

yes want to know of cures for beetles

The only sure cure is a hive tool!   

I use the screened bottoms with the oil pans.   

[Slowmodem]

Full sun, strong populations, oil traps, Guardstar soil drench (but only helps "after the fact").  I'm also under the impression that dry, arid conditions help.  Going beyond these often noted methods would probably mean going to some type of off-label use of something.  The problem is that beetles will keep coming, thus you have to keep doing "something"...my "something" is oil traps along with full sun and doing my best to keep strong hives.

I think Mite-Away-Quick-Strips have been mentioned as killing beetles, but again, more beetles will come so a waiting trap is good.

Ed

I think Checkmite is the one that kills beetles.

[Intheswamp]

I think Checkmite is the one that kills beetles.

Thanks for straightening that out, Greg....I knew it was one of them mite treatments.

I'm not a good shot with the hive tool, hough, so I pressure test them with my fingers.  So far, all of them have failed the test.  Just something gratifiying about getting personal with them.

Ed

[Slowmodem]

I'm not a good shot with the hive tool, hough, so I pressure test them with my fingers.  So far, all of them have failed the test.  Just something gratifiying about getting personal with them.

Of course, freezer camp works well on beetles, too.  (and wax moths)

[jb63]

Didn't fatbeeman have a video about putting the borax in to the corrugated election sines ,or cd cases?

[mamapoppybee]

Lburo ty for your experience with the political trap we are fairly close in location and if it dident work for you dont think it will for lil ol me. Got some oil traps going and gonna check them friday. Praying this kicks them in the butt. I really like my new lil friends and would be sad if anything happens to them.