They are a PAIN J.C. ! Had a 60+ year ole Time Bee keeper tell me " IF you youngins today can manage to keep a colonies or 20 alive today, then y'all are the REAL BEEKEEPERS!!! Was a cake walk for us way back yonder! " Also been told that them dang SHB's can do the same thing to the brood box honey stores, fermenting the honey and will make the bee's very sick! 😢 We've got our hands full brother with all these pest, let's not go down without a fight and again, thanks for all your doing for us and especially our 🐝's ! 👊💯

Try this for your hive beetles, lay one SWIFFER DRY SWEEPER CLOTH on top of the frames of each super and after a few weeks double check. You may loose a couple bees, but the beetles will crawl onto the Swiffer sheet and their legs will get entangled and they are stuck or die on the sheets. Give it a try.

@JCsBees

4 жыл бұрын

I am aware of the Swiffer sheet trick, I just don't think it works perfectly. Sure it does help just like the other methods but not well enough. I appreciate you sharing for those that are not aware though.

My favorite mead recipe so far is Bochet. It's rather involved at the start but is the best bet for off flavored/questionable honey like I get at the store. I use about 2.5lbs of honey per gallon but most folks use 3. Get a large pot at least 3x (preferably bigger) the size of the honey, then boil the honey till it reaches about 300°F or to taste, at this point the foam will be dark brown and the honey will be like a black toffy. Turn off the heat and carefully pour in water, some will flash boil. Stir until all honey is dissolved. Add nutrients as required and move to vessel with airlock. While that cools down, start rehydrating your yeast, I personally use a red wine yeast like red star montrachet but I've heard brettanomyces does amazingly well with this style. Start adding a little bit at a time of the must (honey water) to the yeast solution every 20 minutes, until the yeast solution(starter) has about doubled or trippled (more is better) in size and vigorous fermentation has begun in the starter, now add it to the rest of the batch and wait a few months (staggered nutrients during fermentation if you so choose, don't use staggered nutrients if you chose Brett yeast). At this point it's ready to drink as it is, but now let's make it shine. Soak about 3 oak cubes per gallon in cheap but drinkable bourbon and add about 15 drops of vanilla extract per gallon. Let this sit in a small container for at least a week then add the whole thing burbon/cubes and all to the mead, preferably by racking the mead to a new vessel and leaving the dead yeast behind. Now start tasting a sample of the batch every few days until you almost notice the oak flavor, rack again leaving the oak cubes and any more dead yeast behind, or you can bottle at this point. Wait a few more months to bottle if you so choose. This recipe ages extremely well, even if you aren't happy with it at first it'll be amazing in a year or two.

Option 4 is illegal in Australia, but even if it wasn't, I'd be choosing option 3.. JAOM is a good mead recipe for a first go at it if you don't already have homebrewing gear..

@reptilerick

4 жыл бұрын

funny you mention that. I was thinking a small batch JAOM would be perfect

Finally someone talked about this problem! Been waiting🇺🇸🐝👍

Good talk fellow beekeeper. Thank you for all of the great information you are much appreciated! ;)

Good information Jason. Started two batches of Mead this summer. One regular and one Cyser with Apple Cider. Thanks for sharing.

Funny that you mention mead today. A channel I'm subscribed to just this morning posted his first "mead" video, "Gavin Webber". He is a excellent "fromager" aka cheese maker in Australia. Makes wonderful cheese & beer in his home kitchen. Someone gave him some honey and he's making mead. In the description of the video he gives the recipe he is using for beginners. It is a link to a PDF. I can't copy the link as it immediately downloads the PDF. Good call on how to use the "beetle honey". Looking forward to your story of "beetle mead".

@JCsBees

4 жыл бұрын

I will check it out. Thanks for sharing the insight. I think this will be a fun video series.

@gerardjohnson2106

4 жыл бұрын

@@JCsBees : I'm thinking that maybe you should consider a pasteurization process (150°F/30min) for the "beetle honey" before commencing fermentation lest something undesirable start growing in the primary. Yes it will destroy some characteristics of the honey but all you are looking for is the fructose, glucose and flavor. No different than baking with honey as a sweetener.

Thanks !!

No Meade recipe here, but very interested in following a series on making it.

@christophe5954

4 жыл бұрын

So am I

Hey Jason, because you shared your pollen paddy recipe with me I will share my meade recipe with you. It is a rather lengthy one, but one that I make and barter with. I have yet to have a complaint so give it a whirl! Don't be shocked at the amount of honey that is used. You can always trim it down to a three gallon batch by cutting everything in half. You cna also skip the barrel aging process as well and the meade will turn out just fine. Here it tis: Ingredients 4 Gallons of filtered water. This will ultimately create 5 gallons of Meade 2 tsp of yeast nutrient 1 tsp of yeast energizer 12 pounds of raw honey 2 ½ cups of either raisins or maraschino cherries 1 cup of fruit juice. 2 Tsp of jelly dissolved in 1 cup of warm water works too. 1 packet of White Labs WLP720 yeast ¾ tsp of potassium sorbate ½ lb. of raw honey dissolved in ½ gallon of water (used for back sweetening) Utensils 20-liter white oak aging barrel 7 gallon boiling pot, stainless drain hose large plastic funnel long handled spoon large glass or metal bowl small glass bowl 1 cup stainless measuring cup 2 thermometers hydrometer with beaker wort chiller 5 gallon glass carboy Airlock with rubber stopper Siphon hose Get yeast out of fridge and place in your pocket. Place boiling pot on burner. Measure off 4 gallons of filtered water into plastic five-gallon jug. This would be a good time to get the yeast started and set aside. To do so thin out the jelly with water or place fruit juice into bowl. Heat 15 seconds in the microwave. remove and test the temperature. If it is 100 degrees +/- a couple of degrees go ahead and open the yeast and mix it into the bowl with the fruit juice. If not heat or cool as needed to get to 100 degrees. Cover and set aside for now. Put it in a spot where it won’t get knocked over. Measure out 13 pounds of honey into the large metal bowl. A couple of ounces over doesn’t hurt. Set this next to the pot. Now back to the water. Pour 2 gallons of the water into the pot and bring to a boil. Once it is boiling let it go for about 5 minutes and turn it off. add the yeast nutrient and the super ferment to the water. Dump in the honey using the hot water to get as much out of the bowl as possible. Stir the honey and water mixture until all of the honey has dissolved into the water. Add the raisins or cherries. stir the pot one more time. Move the pot outdoors or wherever you plan on using the chiller at. Place the wort chiller into the wort. Now add the other two gallons of chilled water. Stir everything up and using the second thermometer take a temperature reading. It will probably be well above 80 degrees. Hook the chiller up to the cold water and turn the water on. Keep gently stirring the pot until the temperature is down to about 80 degrees. Once the temp is in range, move the pot back inside to the counter. Screw the drain hose onto the valve. Get the beaker for the hydrometer and drain some of the must into the beaker. Using the hydrometer take a gravity reading and record for future calculations of ABV. Get the glass carboy and place it on the floor below the pot. Drain the must into the glass carboy. Make sure the level is below the neck area of the carboy. scoop out or pour into the raisins or cherries making sure they all get into the glass carboy. Get the yeast and check to see if it has started up. It should have bubbles across the top. Take a temp reading it should be right around 80 degrees. If it is, place the funnel onto the glass carboy and add the yeast mixture to the must. Pick the carboy up and give it a healthy shaking. Sterilize the airlock and place it on top of the carboy using the rubber stopper. Move the carboy to a room that the temperature can be controlled in and place in a dark corner. Use a towel to wrap around it to keep the light out as well as the heat in. Optimum fermenting temp is right around 70 degrees. The fermentation process, once it kicks in, should last about a week, but could go as long as two weeks. Once the fermentation is done, transfer to a secondary carboy and let sit for another week. Add the potassium sorbate and let sit for 5 days. Heat up the half gallon of water in a pot to 160 degrees and add the honey. Let it cool till it is 70 degrees. Add this mixture to the must. Get out the 20-liter white oak barrel and fill it with water. You will want to let this sit over night or at least for most of the day. This will allow the wood staves to expand and plug up any leaks in the cracks. Dump out the water once you are sure there are no leaks. Place the secondary carboy with the must in it on the counter and using a siphon hose drain the must into the barrel. Place the bung on the barrel and store in a non-environmentally controlled area. The barrels need the temperature fluctuations to help with the aging process of the must. Let age for at least 6 months or longer.

Jason. I think your problem may be with the bee escape. It’s great at getting the bees out, but leaves the frames unattended. The bees make what I call beetle jails on the ends between the frames. They will propolize little pockets and herd the beetles in there and not let them out. With that bee escape, the bees and jailers are all out and the beetles have a jail break escape and have free reign to infest the honey. I’ve never used bee escapes and I do have a lot of hive beetles and have never had a problem with beetle larvae in my honey. Try using honey robber or a brush to harvest individual frames. The best beetle control is a strong hive. Some hives I help with beetle blasters and swiffer pads (non scented). I start with the beetle blasters first. The swiffer pads are a mess, but effective. In Oklahoma we’ve had SHB ever since I started 7 years ago. They are worst in August to end of season and will take out a weaker hive in those months. Thanks for the video.

you could freeze the box and put it back for the bees to clean up

Yep, found them in the strainer. Feeding buckets full back to the bees. I'll try again next year.

@lenoretalon9958

4 жыл бұрын

William McNett that’s terrible

@JCsBees

4 жыл бұрын

Sorry to hear this. Best of luck nest year.

I found hive beetles in my hive in metro Detroit. This is a really strong colony. The colony sits off the ground on concrete. I only found a couple. The point is it's not if you have hive beetles but when you're going too.

Jason, away to help to get rid of hive beetles is to put old used carpet or some kind of a barrier that will not let the beetles larva pupate in the ground below the hives.This works for me. Also you can use Diatomaceous earth and spread it under your hives and this will cut up the larva and kill them, you can find this at Home Depot and of course your chicks love to eat them.

@JCsBees

4 жыл бұрын

Charles, I was not aware of the carpet idea, thanks for sharing. I have been sprinkling D.E. under hives though but didn't start until late summer. It's my understand though that once D.E. gets wet it is no good, have you heard this?

@charlesthomas5737

4 жыл бұрын

@@JCsBees I do not know much about using D. E., I have always use carpet, keeps the grass from growing and easier to mow around the hive stands. Remember to put the carpet side down next to the ground and the carpet backing up.

@kyledaugherty2

4 жыл бұрын

Yep. As soon as it rains, you’ll have to reapply the DE. Try putting some tanglefoot around the base of your hive stands. This should help for the walkers. The flyers are kept out best using those new red entrance contraptions. I can’t remember what they’re called, but I’ve started using them on one of my hives this year and I haven’t seen a single beetle in that colony!

Thank you, this help me more. God bless you and your family

I couldn't find the big thumbs up so I poked the regular one. I vote for the mead. I made it once and bottled it a little early and got sparkling mead. Sweet but still pretty good.

Great information

Thanks 🙂

Thanks for the information, learn so much from you!

Do you have migratory beekeepers that pollinate crops near you? I’m in Massachusetts and only my hives in the eastern part of the state have a hive beetle challenge and thats because of the cranberry bogs needing commercial bees. The western part of ma has enough local beekeepers to take care of pollination of simpler crops so no hive beetles in my hives ever. On the east coast its crazy the day the migratory guys take their hives out of then area my hives become bottle refugee camps. This year was so frustrating!

@JCsBees

4 жыл бұрын

Good point but I am not aware of any commercial beekeepers around me but it's possible I guess. Sorry to hear of your troubles with the commercial guys, that has to be a pain to deal with.

Yes - make mead. That's what I do with "runny honney" (moisture too high) or any other that's questionable. Thanks for the videos!

If the grub is feeding in the honey it's going potty in there also. The honey is starting to ferment already and feeding it to the bees would not be a good idea. The feeding didn't start and progress that fast in one day. With the cool weather the bees have been clustering and thus not protecting the honey. This started awhile ago. Lesson here is get your honey off before the weather gets cold. What I wonder about are the SHB ruining the bees winter honey that they need for winter also?? It maybe of interest to check their winter honey supply.

@JCsBees

4 жыл бұрын

You raise some great points here. I will check they bees food stores and see how things look. Do you know how long it takes for the slimming to make the honey taste off?

@russellkoopman3004

4 жыл бұрын

@@JCsBees No, but I am sure it is temperature dependent and the amount of feeding by the larvae. One or two holes I'm sure is no big deal but the frames you showed in warm temps would go bad in a week or two (SWAG).

Thanks, Jason. Great video and exceedingly beneficial.

Glad you did this video. Didn’t know this. Thanks

I'd go with option 3

Watch the specific gravity on fermentation. To far and it turns to rocket fuel...

BlackBerry mead yum

Mead -so sorry for the waste

Great ideas ! Cheers from France

@JCsBees

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

Some small batch 1 gallon experiments would be great Jason. you could do something unorthodox like a Joe's ancient orange, a Pyment, a metheglin, and a standard sweet mead.

No favorite Mead recipe, but 3 Cheers for the Mead! : ) Would be Very Interesting! Thanks! ~ Sorry about the Beetles.

Good info,I appreciate it much

i use a 5/8 'entrance hole,and a window screen bottom, all year.i have seen few hive beetles

My chicken's are my bee cleaner's. they stand in front and watch the landing board and they get the flies, bug's and all Beatles trying to get in the hives. They don't touch the bee's and the bee's don't bother them. And they keep everything cleaned up around the hives. I haven't even seen one VM. I need to get more chick's next spring, going to keep expanding my hives.

Feed it back in the field. They'll wipe it out in a day if alot of hives are in the area.

Learned from another of your videos. Thankyou

Hey beekeepers ...❤️🐝😀❤️🐝😀

@JakeBeesos

4 жыл бұрын

I had the same problem too... Thanks for sharing.😀

@JCsBees

4 жыл бұрын

Which options did you choose with your honey?

@JakeBeesos

4 жыл бұрын

@@JCsBees I gave it back to the bees... Thanks for asking.😀

I found the same thing in my observation hive two days ago. Had to take it down and freeze the frames. Seems like as the bees began clustering at night, they let the beetles out. I live in southern Indiana and the weather has been swinging from near frost at night to low 70s in the day. Makes me worry about other hives where the bees are all in the btm right now. Was this super on a strong hive?

@JCsBees

4 жыл бұрын

These beetles don't seem to care what they destroy. It's been an up hill battle with them this year. I hope to pull ahead next year. Yes, super was an a strong colony. I don't think they would have store honey in super if they were weak. Best of luck getting your OB hive back in working order.

You being a big DIY guy might like Jeff Willards idea. Have a peek at his channel and what he’s done with apparent good success. It’s a bit of work but not much money. I intend to make a few this winter. The other item I’ll be trialing is the Guardian - a plastic entrance guard that costs $10 but looks good. I’ve bought 2 to trial.

@JCsBees

4 жыл бұрын

I will surely look into Jeff's idea as something has to be done. There is one Beetle trap made by Bayer, I can't remember what it's called but the fact it's made Bayer is a huge turn off to me. Bayer is part of the chemical problem in the country if your not aware, they work closely with Monsanto. I know there can't be much to making your own beetle blocking entrance from what I am seeing. From what I have learned so far beetle can't hover or hang upside down. I've got a few ideas to play with. Thanks for sharing the information, Steve!

@user-px7nh7vs4b

4 жыл бұрын

I wanted to love Guardian but they don't seem to work well for me here in east Texas. SHB are straight from the devil.

@JCsBees

4 жыл бұрын

@B.U. Good to know!

Hi Jason I enjoy watching your posts. I am just getting into bee keeping. I bought bee supplies at a auction years ago. The boxes were stacked outside but no frames were in hives and not stacked neatly. A swarm moved in probably 3-4 years ago. I did nothing. Last winter I opened top didn’t see bees but I got a bowl of honey and probably killed the bees further down. This spring I noticed robbing bees taking the honey that was left but my mid summer I had a colony back in it. I have now sealed cracks, bought quite a bit of supplies and am feeding the bees with a hive top feeder. My question is if I get them through the winter can I get these bees into a new hive or clear out sections to put in frames? I would like to add a few hives in the spring. Maybe catch a swarm. The hive is just east of Coshocton Ohio. I will email you picture of my hive.

@JCsBees

4 жыл бұрын

Hello Tim, I think if they do overwinter you should have no issues getting them in another hive. Is there frames in the box they are currently in or did they just build comb every direction (cross comb)? East of Coshocton, huh? Your not too far from me. I am on the Knox/Licking county line.

@timmiller2192

4 жыл бұрын

Jason Chrisman Mostly cross comb, there might be some frames on the inside but could be laying in there any which way.

@JCsBees

4 жыл бұрын

Ok so your going to basically do a cut out and transfer sections of comb to frames if they survive? I don't see any issues with that.

@timmiller2192

4 жыл бұрын

Jason Chrisman Thank You. Could be I’ll need a Nuc in the spring. Tim. I enjoy your videos.

what a good, straightforward vid, thank you. excellent info and suggestions. :)

Great video always learn something watching , will pass it on .

@JCsBees

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Peter, Sadly though this video upset the make of the Beetle Buster and he no longer wants me to mention his product, so that video I promised you is not gonna happen now. He got offended I called it pricey. I was just being honest but I guess it offended him, that wasn't my intent but what's done is done.

@peterlightbody8443

4 жыл бұрын

@@JCsBees Well you not wrong they are pricey and I live here where they are made .

@JCsBees

4 жыл бұрын

@Peter Lightbody I was just being honest in the video but now Bruce is sending me threats on Facebook saying I need to remove this video or he is gonna release the hounds. It's got so bad that I had to block him because I refused to remove the video. I tried to explain that I had done many products reviews and never had anyone act the way he is but that only upset him more. Sad really the way he is acting. That's not gonna get him very far with his baseboard.

@peterlightbody8443

4 жыл бұрын

Unbelievable that he would do that , take it easy, I am on your side , he is way up north in Queensland I think , I have always thought you have been honest when reviewing items , did you buy the board or did he send to you for free.

@JCsBees

4 жыл бұрын

@@peterlightbody8443 He sent it to me for free like most companies do when they want a review. I am considering removing the review video as I can't see standing behind an item when the owner acts like this.

Hey Jason, What ever happened about your experiment with the sumac in the smoker?

@JCsBees

4 жыл бұрын

It's coming very soon my friend.

Mead with videos please :) It will be a hit.

Interesting for sure! ~ I was going to say the same thing... Mead!! I'm looking forward to that video! I've made it one time before, I'm curious to see how your recipe varies from what I did! Thanks for sharing J.C!

Using bee escapes and leaving them on just a short time gives the moma beetle free range and with no bees to keep em running or hide long enough to lay eggs.Toss those bee escapes and use a blower to remove bees from supers. Commercial beeks here in Texas only remove supers that they can handle to extract that day. Beetle country has changed beekeeping dramatically.You are so right about a sanitary apiary. Never ever leave comb or scrappings in the yard.

@JCsBees

4 жыл бұрын

I've used a leaf blower many times to remove supers, works great! I even made a video on it but most viewers thought it was cruel. Don't think that suggestion was a hit with them. lol Makes since what your saying about the bee escape but I noticed the holes while install escape, so damage was already done.

@sporkintheeye

4 жыл бұрын

I was actually wondering if the bee escape was a contributor here.

@mikestein379

4 жыл бұрын

@@sporkintheeye Once supers are capped there are very few foragers hanging out there. Less bees gives moma beetles time to lay. Blowing supers was done back in the fifties by commbeeks. I still do to this day. Tried the bee gone but that funky smell ends up in the honey. Best to brush,shake or blow. Or just pull the supers with bees intact and extract and the bees will head for the windows or lights. Beekeeping today is a tuff endeavor with mites and beetles and viruses.

Do they only have Beatles in the south? Do they happen in California?

@scottlealand946

4 жыл бұрын

Don't know if they have beatles in Cali, but Jason is in central Ohio and I've seen them here in NE Ohio. They're definitely not just in the south...

Hello JC, was that on a solid bottom board beehive or one with a screen and oil tray underneath? Thanks ahead.

@JCsBees

2 жыл бұрын

Screened bottom.

@cubaniton74

2 жыл бұрын

@@JCsBees Did it have an oil tray underneath?

Mead! mead! mead! mead! mead!

Those little rat bastards took out my 2 biggest hives this summer. I'm coming loaded for bear this next spring.

@JCsBees

4 жыл бұрын

Sorry to hear the sad news. I am with you on you plan for next spring. Let's take back our bees. Beetles suck!

Number 4!!!

Sent you a PM via FB

Safety glasses!

@JCsBees

4 жыл бұрын

I wear sunglasses when I ride the atv if that is what your referring to.

@SuperBuickregal

4 жыл бұрын

@@JCsBees I know you do I saw them up on you cap but this reminds me when I was a kid getting cutup by blackberries bushes when kids actually played outside.

@SuperBuickregal

4 жыл бұрын

@@JCsBees On another note it seems that beekeeping is getting harder due to the pest and all.

@JCsBees

4 жыл бұрын

Bees have a lot against them which keeps us beekeeper more on our toes. We don't always win but as long as we are learning we will eventually pull ahead.

I applied H. indica nematodes around my hives this past July. I hardly see any small hive beetles anymore. You could apply them this coming spring. It will cost around $40 (shipping included) per 10 hives. www.southeasterninsectaries.com/nematodes.php There are 3 videos on their use and application on the site. It seems to work at reducing the SHB populations. I also have the clear plastic traps that are refillable on the top of some frames and have caught very few after the nematode application. I would have 10-20 beetles in a trap before the nematodes and now I may get 1-2 in a trap. Here is an article on beneficial nematodes. entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/nematode/entomopathogenic_nematode.htm

@JCsBees

4 жыл бұрын

Awesome information! Thanks for sharing it. I will look into this for next season.

How long in freezer? I heard for wax moths 5 hours is enough.

@JCsBees

3 жыл бұрын

Personally, I say 24 hours at least.

I say we make half Mead then sit around getting drunk watching the rest get robbed out

Them things are bad down here in Louisiana. They will destroy a mating box and a matter of a few days. Next year I'm putting PVC entrance and all of them

@JCsBees

4 жыл бұрын

I'm surely going to experiment with the pvc entrances. Have you tried them at all yet to see if they truly work?

@rougaroubeecompany6948

4 жыл бұрын

No I haven't but a few guys I take to use them and they say that it works. That's why I'm going try it next if it helps that would be great.

@marvelous1492

4 жыл бұрын

Tell me more of the pvc entrance. Where do you find them? I lost a hive this year to SHB in SE Texas.

@JCsBees

4 жыл бұрын

@Marvin Hoffmann They are pvc elbows like for water or gas. You make one of them the entrance per hive with the elbow facing down. Apparently beetles can't hover to enter hives.

@rougaroubeecompany6948

4 жыл бұрын

Hope you don't mind me sharing this here Jason kzread.info/dash/bejne/nXqru7Cqmse7eco.html

Just how long are your weeks if you make weekly videos. hahaha. Maybe your like me, I make them but they wind up on the cutting room floor and never make it to youtube.

@JCsBees

4 жыл бұрын

They are only 7 day long just like your weeks. I have missed a couple videos this year but for the most part there has been a video weekly. I do have some that never make it to be uploaded. I watch them back and think they are not worthy. lol

@OkieRob

4 жыл бұрын

@@JCsBees I guess the weeks just feel longer. 🤔

Try this cyser recipe. It's a holiday mead. meadist.com/making-mead/mead-recipes/cinnamon-cyser/

Jason you should be ashamed for taking the bees mead away. How would you like it???

@JCsBees

4 жыл бұрын

Maybe I was planning to go drink the mead with them this winter. I was thinking this may help break-up the long winter for them. lol