I installed one of these just this afternoon. I got the opportunity to watch a beetle try and get in. It was pretty entertaining.....until the beetle crawled upside down, up through the hexagonal floor design and then right into the hive. Its certainly better than nothing and definitely gives the bees a chance to run them off at the door.
Great video! This is an exciting invention, but from my experience, It does not work as well as advertised. I installed them on a new hive package without a single battle. I inspected the package thoroughly before allowing the bees to walk the plank and enter the hive through the guardian. At the end of the summer, the hive had a significant amount of SHB. The problem with those plastic entrances is that they get dirty relatively quickly, allowing the SHB to walk right over those tiny holes. My hives are relatively new and in good shape. They are strapped with a tied-down so there are no other holes for SHB to enter. I had high hopes for this to be the fix, but now I'm convinced the guardian entrance alone is not a guaranteed solution. Dyer sheets and internal traps are a must.
I bought 4 for my two colonies and installed one to try it because I was skeptical. I watched three beetles navigate it within 10 minutes of installing. I took the 3 unopened back.
I seen those on the internet cheap, just didn't know if they would work. Hive beetles fly very well and are very targeted when landing. They do a good job when hovering.
In previous videos you had one about nosema treatment you made with essential oils. I can't find it now and was wondering if you could give me the recipe for the treatment or post the video again. Thank you Ron
I see Mike's been reaching out 😁 Looking forward to your review. I have yet to see an issue in my 10 frame hives that have these on them. Getting them to fit my smaller, non standard hives, has been an issue.
With my bearding hives I keep adding boxes till they get super busy again. I put frames of brood from those into weak hives to make them strong enough to carry the load again. It is almost impossible to predict from month to month or year to year which components become flaming strong. I do treat if needed with oxalic acid. But when super strong you may damage it by being over protective.
It helps a little bit, but the best is having a large pan of oil at the bottom of your screen board, That as worked the best for me, I have no more beetle problems 🙂
Have you heard of a thermal heater? I ran into a lady a couple weeks ago that told me about it. She doesn't have any trouble with them. It heats the hive to 106°. It eleminates the wax moth larvae and beetles! Just curious?
@@ZexMaxwell she said they beard a little but as soon as you pull the thermal heater they go back to work like nothing happened. Her hives get inspected every year and no beetles or moths.
jeremiah hill he doesn’t run these. Pay attention to his regular videos, you won’t see one of these guardians on any of his boxes. If it really did work, he’d have them on every box
I have had two swarms this year from this. I placed a few pollen patties in the hives and in about a week they swarmed from all the hive beetle larva and ants.
I bought the bottom entrance on Amazon. And now decided to order the top too. Its not currently available on amazon. I went to the site you provided and saw for the price $4.99 when I tried to see the shipping cost I saw $9.60 the cheapest. I am sorry but this is crazy. For the tiny little plastic to ship almost $10 ? Screw that !
It's very effective. Ringing works best with things that ring as opposed to thudding though. I've used a couple of pry bars, one on a string, in a pinch
I just bought two of these last week. I don't get a lot of Hive beetles this time of year. 3 weeks ago what's another story. Then again I don't get tons of beetles maybe for 5 and that is it. But it only takes one to cause trouble
I bought a bunch of them for my hives, I really thought they would work for me but unfortunately they didn't work. I noticed no difference at all after months of use. Hive beetles here in tampa florida are absolutely horribly bad.
My wife and I use these on our hives, granted we only have two, but we have seen only two shb so far this year. We are convinced these work and will be expanding our hives numbers greatly I'm the near future.
@@petebarber9287 Oh yea, thanks Pete, I was aware for the beetle blasters, but what to put inside the folding beetle traps--the squares you place on the bottom of the hive? sugar and borax acid? I'm not sure.
Hey David, always love your videos. Folks, if you haven’t bought a queen from Barnyard Bees, don’t hesitate. I bought one last year. That was the calmest hive in my yard. The awful thing was, they swarmed and I lost her. Did get a daughter, but made me sick. I had a question. I extracted some honey yesterday. I put my frames out for the bees to clean up. There were several dead bees around where they cleaned them up. That happens every time. What’s the deal.? Thanks
Yes it's fighting. No doubt about it. I would urge you to not feed bees like this. Besides the fighting it really encourages robbing, even if you do this in a forage area.
Just finding this video. I lost several hives last season to SHB. I am going to order several of these. Question: Do you leave on all the time? Do you close up the back/front entrance of the inner cover? (I hope that makes sense)
If you have an eight or ten frame hive put a West beetle trap bottom board, it uses vegetable oil to trap them. Basically the bee's Chase the beetles down to the bottom through a screen where the get trapped in the oil and die. I had bad beetle problems until I installed these and it wiped them out.
Want them, but wow to high for me. Night shift sucks, but I'm going to try to make the next 3 years and bam, I'm going to retire, so I can work at what I enjoy, bees. Working nights, some days I'm just too tired to work the yard and I do lose hives because of it. Hey if hive Beatles can't hover, have you ever tried an entrance on the bottom of the hive with a pipe pointing straight down? Glad to see someone else with frames laying around to get to later
Hey Dave just a thought ,I moved to a to a different location 3years ago.the person that had the property before me was in heavy construction and he had laid down about 6 inches of large gravel where my hives are.i have no hive beetles.love your videos.james in Okla.
Thanks Glen for your answer. No doubt the beetle barns work and if kept maintained, will take care of the beetle problems. This new product, Guardian, Has really brought my hopes up to a new level. I am sorry to hear that beetles can still enter the hive, even though at a lesser rate. After this revelation, Mt hopes have dwindled. The reason I ask you about possible gaps was trying to keep my hopes up wanting this to be “ the answer” to beetle problems and chemical free to boot. Is it possible that SHB may be interring from your top? It doesn’t take but a hair of an opening and they will find their way in. If so, a screen top board would fix this. I am reaching I know but really want this to work for the good of all. Thanks, Phillip Hall
@@PhillipHall01 -I can say that last year i had 6 hives the SHB killed all but 1 so coming out of winter I felt defeated until i found Barnyard Bees Video -using the Guardian and the Beetle Barnes and feeding Pollen Sub- I have 8 hives going strong and hope they keep growing-just had a swarm 8-1-19- so 9 hives -anything helps.
Hey David, I am loving mine--zero SHBs. ,Do you believe mice could squeeze through or eat through the Guardian during winter? Would you cover it with wire? What do you do for your entrances with them on it for winter preparations? Thank you my friend. Brad
I don't believe you will have a SHB problem in the winter so you could remove it and put on a mouse guard. I'm open for any counter information though.
I feel your pain! We had a honey harvest already and are looking for more in a while. Unfortunately, I think our most productive queen swarmed on us and we lost her. I work tens, five and six days a week. I want to make another split yet this year, and believe we have time, we will see.
It would be best, yes. If you run SBB run it sitting on an oil pan. The SHB fall out and into the oil instead of just climbing back in. Think of SBB as another entrance for the SHB
In my experience the Guardian does not work well with SBBs. The beetles can wiggle through 1/8" screen especially the smaller ones. I've watched them do it.
@@jrmars5434 That is true. I wasn't very clear. I'm sorry about that. All my hives are long langs and when I used to run sbb I had oil pans which fit tight to sbb and they were in a "drawer" style which closed up tight. I think you are gonna be absolutely correct though. It's why I don't have any anymore
David, what about moisture. You suggest tilting the hive toward the front to allow moisture to run out. Does this not completely block the moisture from running out. New beekeeper here, trying to learn. Love the gentle bees I got from yall!
If you have a stand with legs insert them in old paint can or the like, add some old motor oil. Keep the grass cut down around your stand. I use cheap sheet aluminum pans with the inside wall heavily greased turned up side down on cement blocks.
nice! I've been waiting for one of yall to do a video about these, I bought several earlier this year and haven't had a chance to build new entrance reducers to use them. curious to see how you like them
Thanks Dave, another interesting control method. Small Hive Beetle was introduced into Australia just over 15 years ago and has become quite an issue. The Department of Primary Industries here developed a SHB control device that has since been commercialised. It is sold under the brand name of Apithor, and comprises a CD size case inside which is Fipronil impregnated core-flute cardboard. It's a set-and-forget harbourage that sits within the hive and lasts around 3 months. I don't know how available it is outside Australia, however these days with the internet/online shopping pretty much everything is available through mail order. I have no connection with the company, but have found these highly effective and thoroughly recommend them. apithor.com.au
Why do you have your entrances at the bottom of the hive. No where in nature do feral bees have entrances to their colonies at the bottom of their colony.
I forgot your life was like mine. Working the night shift. Had to work 16 memorial day. I sleep 4 hours work the bees, eat and sleep 2 hours, then up to get ready to go to work. I'm always behind. Looks like I will have some pup Banana trees. In two weeks I will try and chop them from the parent plant and see if they survive. Then I will dig them a few weeks later. Since you don't do Facebook, get Jimmy or his wife to private message me your address, so I can send you one or two.
"And there is a yellowjacket" *squish *
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Video starts at 5:30
I installed one of these just this afternoon. I got the opportunity to watch a beetle try and get in. It was pretty entertaining.....until the beetle crawled upside down, up through the hexagonal floor design and then right into the hive. Its certainly better than nothing and definitely gives the bees a chance to run them off at the door.
Great video! This is an exciting invention, but from my experience, It does not work as well as advertised. I installed them on a new hive package without a single battle. I inspected the package thoroughly before allowing the bees to walk the plank and enter the hive through the guardian. At the end of the summer, the hive had a significant amount of SHB. The problem with those plastic entrances is that they get dirty relatively quickly, allowing the SHB to walk right over those tiny holes. My hives are relatively new and in good shape. They are strapped with a tied-down so there are no other holes for SHB to enter. I had high hopes for this to be the fix, but now I'm convinced the guardian entrance alone is not a guaranteed solution. Dyer sheets and internal traps are a must.
I bought 4 for my two colonies and installed one to try it because I was skeptical. I watched three beetles navigate it within 10 minutes of installing. I took the 3 unopened back.
Yes - it might slow them down but they still get in - I had one also
iI was watching my cam set up on the entrance and also saw one go in after about 5 mins trying.
I seen those on the internet cheap, just didn't know if they would work.
Hive beetles fly very well and are very targeted when landing. They do a good job when hovering.
In previous videos you had one about nosema treatment you made with essential oils. I can't find it now and was wondering if you could give me the recipe for the treatment or post the video again. Thank you Ron
Try searching for a feed mix. The video was how to mix sugar feed.
2 to 1 ratio sugar water few drops tea tree oil few drops wintergreen oil quart jar size use 2 to 3 drops..mix well
I see Mike's been reaching out 😁
Looking forward to your review.
I have yet to see an issue in my 10 frame hives that have these on them.
Getting them to fit my smaller, non standard hives, has been an issue.
With my bearding hives I keep adding boxes till they get super busy again. I put frames of brood from those into weak hives to make them strong enough to carry the load again. It is almost impossible to predict from month to month or year to year which components become flaming strong. I do treat if needed with oxalic acid. But when super strong you may damage it by being over protective.
You’re a true Trouper David. 👍🏻😎Keep up the good work for our precious Honey Bees. 🐝🐝🐝🐝
It helps a little bit, but the best is having a large pan of oil at the bottom of your screen board, That as worked the best for me, I have no more beetle problems 🙂
Can you only use them if you have solid bottom boards ..what about screen bottoms?
Please keep us posted on you guardian
Have you heard of a thermal heater? I ran into a lady a couple weeks ago that told me about it. She doesn't have any trouble with them. It heats the hive to 106°. It eleminates the wax moth larvae and beetles! Just curious?
@@ZexMaxwell she said they beard a little but as soon as you pull the thermal heater they go back to work like nothing happened. Her hives get inspected every year and no beetles or moths.
It also kills varroa mites in the cells
It also kills varroa mites in the cells
Thank you for the review, I have been wondering how folk like these entrance modifications.
Will this make the hive overheat?
This device is great it even works on flies flies cannot get inside
Do you have them on your 2 frame nucs? What do you use to keep beetles out of the 2 frame?
jeremiah hill he doesn’t run these. Pay attention to his regular videos, you won’t see one of these guardians on any of his boxes. If it really did work, he’d have them on every box
@@notafuckinpplperson8233 Yep. Just an ad to sell them.
I have had two swarms this year from this. I placed a few pollen patties in the hives and in about a week they swarmed from all the hive beetle larva and ants.
That's a useful tool! I better get some for my hives here in NZ
Does this guard work with screen bottom boards??
Great product we are in the Northeast and haven't had any problem but it was neat to learn about this tool
Like your videos. Thanks man
Looks amazing! I have to get some of these
I bought the bottom entrance on Amazon. And now decided to order the top too. Its not currently available on amazon. I went to the site you provided and saw for the price $4.99 when I tried to see the shipping cost I saw $9.60 the cheapest. I am sorry but this is crazy. For the tiny little plastic to ship almost $10 ? Screw that !
3d print one!
David - is it true that if you bang on a metal tin during a swarm - they will land in the vicinity of the sound?
It's very effective. Ringing works best with things that ring as opposed to thudding though. I've used a couple of pry bars, one on a string, in a pinch
All of my hives have screened bottom boards. Will beetle guardian be effective?
Screened bottom boards have 1/8" screen and smaller beetles can pass through that screen.
SBB needs oil pan to be really effective. This way the beetles fall through and die as opposed to just crawling back in.
Will it keep mice out?
Can you make a smaller Guardian that will fits the two frame boxes?
Do you still recommend using this a week later?🤔
Great to see this solution
Can I use the Guardian and the long blue wasp protection gate at the same time ?
it seems to strip pollen off of incoming bees? which piles up outside the entrance. wondering if i should keep then on any longer?
I just bought two of these last week. I don't get a lot of Hive beetles this time of year. 3 weeks ago what's another story. Then again I don't get tons of beetles maybe for 5 and that is it. But it only takes one to cause trouble
Can SHB get through a screened inner cover?
Needs a small opening in the design to lure the beetles into a small trough of DE or oil. Then they aren't harassing the other hives in the area.
when you mention a beetle barn on the inside, are you talking about a disposable beetle blaster? same thing?
Will the Guardian work with screened bottom boards?
Yes sure will
How do I get rid of beetles in the hive and can I reuse the frames that have holes from beetles?
I bought a bunch of them for my hives, I really thought they would work for me but unfortunately they didn't work. I noticed no difference at all after months of use. Hive beetles here in tampa florida are absolutely horribly bad.
My wife and I use these on our hives, granted we only have two, but we have seen only two shb so far this year. We are convinced these work and will be expanding our hives numbers greatly I'm the near future.
What do you put inside the beetle traps? What kind of poison and where to buy it?
Just put some 100% vegetable oil about a quarter of the beetle blaster in the bottom ...
@@petebarber9287 Oh yea, thanks Pete, I was aware for the beetle blasters, but what to put inside the folding beetle traps--the squares you place on the bottom of the hive? sugar and borax acid? I'm not sure.
Hey David, always love your videos. Folks, if you haven’t bought a queen from Barnyard Bees, don’t hesitate. I bought one last year. That was the calmest hive in my yard. The awful thing was, they swarmed and I lost her. Did get a daughter, but made me sick. I had a question. I extracted some honey yesterday. I put my frames out for the bees to clean up. There were several dead bees around where they cleaned them up. That happens every time. What’s the deal.? Thanks
Food poisoning !! J/K LOL I will guess, probably different bees from different colonies fighting it out? Maybe David will answer in due time....
Yes it's fighting. No doubt about it. I would urge you to not feed bees like this. Besides the fighting it really encourages robbing, even if you do this in a forage area.
Just finding this video. I lost several hives last season to SHB. I am going to order several of these. Question: Do you leave on all the time? Do you close up the back/front entrance of the inner cover? (I hope that makes sense)
Where can we get these beetle traps?
That seems like a good improvement to deal with those Guardian entrance reducer! Thanks for that heads up.
Is the guardian compatible with standard entrance feeders (mason jar type)?
I got three guardians and three entrance reducers. The reducers are too big for my hive both length and height
I haven't had any luck with these, I have a mass of SHB, been on for nearly a year.
If you have an eight or ten frame hive put a West beetle trap bottom board, it uses vegetable oil to trap them. Basically the bee's Chase the beetles down to the bottom through a screen where the get trapped in the oil and die. I had bad beetle problems until I installed these and it wiped them out.
Does the Guardian stay installed year round?
How would this keep robbers out? won't they just crawl in like normal?
Want them, but wow to high for me.
Night shift sucks, but I'm going to try to make the next 3 years and bam, I'm going to retire, so I can work at what I enjoy, bees.
Working nights, some days I'm just too tired to work the yard and I do lose hives because of it.
Hey if hive Beatles can't hover, have you ever tried an entrance on the bottom of the hive with a pipe pointing straight down?
Glad to see someone else with frames laying around to get to later
@@davidhaught84 yep, try 62. You have a great day David and I thought you were in your 30's.
Where's the missing comment? What's the consensus on bottom entrance? I never thought of it
Hey Dave just a thought ,I moved to a to a different location 3years ago.the person that had the property before me was in heavy construction and he had laid down about 6 inches of large gravel where my hives are.i have no hive beetles.love your videos.james in Okla.
David, if I put this on my hive, which I plan to, is it enough space to keep on the hive all season long?
Yes should be fine. But if traffic is backing up alot then you need to take off.
@@davidhaught84 thx
Have them and they only partially work-still have hive beetles but they do work well with the Beetle barn with Combat Roach Gel
just curious, Do you seal all gaps etc? What do you do to seal up your hive meaning how do you seal up the nooks and crannies?
Thanks Glen for your answer. No doubt the beetle barns work and if kept maintained, will take care of the beetle problems. This new product, Guardian, Has really brought my hopes up to a new level. I am sorry to hear that beetles can still enter the hive, even though at a lesser rate. After this revelation, Mt hopes have dwindled. The reason I ask you about possible gaps was trying to keep my hopes up wanting this to be “ the answer” to beetle problems and chemical free to boot. Is it possible that SHB may be interring from your top? It doesn’t take but a hair of an opening and they will find their way in. If so, a screen top board would fix this. I am reaching I know but really want this to work for the good of all. Thanks, Phillip Hall
@@PhillipHall01 -I can say that last year i had 6 hives the SHB killed all but 1 so coming out of winter I felt defeated until i found Barnyard Bees Video -using the Guardian and the Beetle Barnes and feeding Pollen Sub- I have 8 hives going strong and hope they keep growing-just had a swarm 8-1-19- so 9 hives -anything helps.
Thanks Glen. How long have you been using the guardian? I am still very interested. Phillip
@@PhillipHall01 -just this year
Hey David, I am loving mine--zero SHBs. ,Do you believe mice could squeeze through or eat through the Guardian during winter? Would you cover it with wire? What do you do for your entrances with them on it for winter preparations? Thank you my friend. Brad
I don't believe you will have a SHB problem in the winter so you could remove it and put on a mouse guard. I'm open for any counter information though.
Dave with guardian how would an inner cover with a cutout work?
I need to try these. We get those darn SHB in Ohio and i hate them.
I feel your pain! We had a honey harvest already and are looking for more in a while. Unfortunately, I think our most productive queen swarmed on us and we lost her. I work tens, five and six days a week. I want to make another split yet this year, and believe we have time, we will see.
Skip to 5:27 to get to the guardian.
best youtuber
Do you have to run a solid bottom board with the Guardian?
It would be best, yes. If you run SBB run it sitting on an oil pan. The SHB fall out and into the oil instead of just climbing back in. Think of SBB as another entrance for the SHB
In my experience the Guardian does not work well with SBBs. The beetles can wiggle through 1/8" screen especially the smaller ones. I've watched them do it.
@@jrmars5434 That is true. I wasn't very clear. I'm sorry about that. All my hives are long langs and when I used to run sbb I had oil pans which fit tight to sbb and they were in a "drawer" style which closed up tight. I think you are gonna be absolutely correct though. It's why I don't have any anymore
That’s a tidy idea. No chemicals. Bees back in control. Nice
This will be a wonderful testimonial, once you have these installed on all your nucs! Can't wait to see that happen! Good luck with it David.
David, what about moisture. You suggest tilting the hive toward the front to allow moisture to run out. Does this not completely block the moisture from running out. New beekeeper here, trying to learn. Love the gentle bees I got from yall!
Thermal treatment of varroa kills many SHBs as well.
Tell me away to get rid of large black ants.
Matthew C G in a hive correct?
If you have a stand with legs insert them in old paint can or the like, add some old motor oil.
Keep the grass cut down around your stand.
I use cheap sheet aluminum pans with the inside wall heavily greased turned up side down on cement blocks.
Use diatomaceous earth!
How large? They may be carpenter ants chewing up your wooden hives and supports
Thanks David for all of the videos 👍👍 greatly appreciated. Haven’t gotten into bee keeping but would like to in the future.
It’s virtually impossible for a beetle to get past this but if one does????
Beetle barn inside, like he said.
Interesting
great idea ,what do you use to bait your beetle barns?
nice! I've been waiting for one of yall to do a video about these, I bought several earlier this year and haven't had a chance to build new entrance reducers to use them. curious to see how you like them
Good information David. Thanks.
8:03 boom!
Will a queen be able to get through the guardian to make her mating flight?
If all the other bees can, why couldn't she?
Love your videos. I am a new bee keeper and I see your bees build lots of comb. What do you do to get them to build? I'm in need of comb.
Swarm yard bees never lets you down .. I can't make mine swarm I tried wanted the swarm cells . You need a clone I got one only way to go
08:03 yellow jacket squash (plat)
yes, they are reasonably good, but my experience has been that, after a year they become brittle and crumble.
Thanks Dave, another interesting control method.
Small Hive Beetle was introduced into Australia just over 15 years ago and has become quite an issue. The Department of Primary Industries here developed a SHB control device that has since been commercialised. It is sold under the brand name of Apithor, and comprises a CD size case inside which is Fipronil impregnated core-flute cardboard. It's a set-and-forget harbourage that sits within the hive and lasts around 3 months. I don't know how available it is outside Australia, however these days with the internet/online shopping pretty much everything is available through mail order.
I have no connection with the company, but have found these highly effective and thoroughly recommend them. apithor.com.au
My comment regarding that yellow jacket is you fixed his little red wagon.
Just peppermint candy is all you need.
the beetle also cant see the red
Just placed my order from Missouri!
I want to thank you I baught a queen from you up here in Monroe washington can't wait to have some gentle eyes thanks Daniel
Why do you have your entrances at the bottom of the hive. No where in nature do feral bees have entrances to their colonies at the bottom of their colony.
Am I the only one that noticed the beetle on the top right of the guard?
I forgot your life was like mine. Working the night shift. Had to work 16 memorial day.
I sleep 4 hours work the bees, eat and sleep 2 hours, then up to get ready to go to work.
I'm always behind.
Looks like I will have some pup Banana trees. In two weeks I will try and chop them from the parent plant and see if they survive. Then I will dig them a few weeks later.
Since you don't do Facebook, get Jimmy or his wife to private message me your address, so I can send you one or two.
Once again great information 👍 I quote you often on my channel See you on the Mountain!
The small one should work on a Top Bar Hive
Cool Idea David
Another great vid and a great product idea!
Awesome
thank you,,
Thats great they don't have a problem
Jesus saves
best product for small hive beetles ....people that call this invention a doo dad or a gadget are ..... delusional --love em!!
Do you get free honey
Don't believe everything you see on the Internet especially on beekeeping.
"grate" idea!