AU2009238296A1

AU2009238296A1 - Pest trap for beehive

Info

Publication number: AU2009238296A1
Application number: AU2009238296A
Authority: AU
Inventors: George Kakazanis
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-11-17
Filing date: 2009-11-17
Publication date: 2011-06-02

Description

- 1 PEST TRAP FOR BEEHIVE FIELD OF INVENTION The present invention relates to beehives and traps for pests. The present 5 invention has particular but not exclusive application in controlling the small hive beetle. BACKGRQlUND OF THE INVENTION The small hive beetle from South Africa is a major pest of commercial honey 10 bees in Australia. In 2002 these beetles were found In commercial honey bee hives near Sydney and Brisbane in Australia. Since 2002, the beetles have spread to other areas and are threatening the viability of commercial honey production in Australia. The small hive beetles are very destructive in honey bee hives. The beetles 15 lay eggs inside the hive and the beetle larvae burrow and tunnel through the combs causing the honey to discolour and ferment, and killing the bee brood. Currently, there Is no satisfactory method to control the small hive beetle. There is no registered chemical inner-hive control measure for this pest in Australia. Alternate methods have been developed to control the beetle, but these have met 20 with limited success, Beehive components and apiary products have been subjected to freezing temperatures of -12 0 C for 24 hours or longer to control the beetles. However combs and other components are easily re-infested after treatment. Soils around the infested hive have been treated with permethrin to kill larvae and pupae before hatching. Bottles or containers with oil positioned on the bottom of the hives -2 have been used to kill beetles that drop into them. Unfortunately bees also fall into the oil and drown. OBJECT OF THE JIVENTION 5 It is an object of the present invention to provide a trap to control or at least manage the small hive beetle in a bee hive. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one aspect the present invention broadly resides In a trap including 10 a filter member with a plurality of apertures wherein each aperture is large enough to allow passage of the small hive beetle or larvae but small enough to prevent the passage of a bee; and at least one container of fluid positionable below the filter member when the trap is positioned within the bee hive. 15 Preferably the trap is positioned below the combs. More preferably the trap is positioned on the floor of the bee hive or forms the floor of the bee hive. The filter member can extend partially or completely across the beehive. Where the filter member extends completely across the beehive, it divides the bee hive into an upper and a lower section. 20 The shape of the filter member can be any suitable shape to fit within the bee hive. The filter member Is preferably planar in shape. The filter member can be a grate with longitudinal apertures or a mesh with substantially round apertures. The width of the aperture is preferably 4 - 7 mm (depending on the beetle species) and more preferably about 3.5 mm. 25 Preferably there is only container.

-3 The fluid can be any suitable liquid, solution or oil. Preferably the fluid is oil. More preferably the fluid is vegetable oil. Preferably the fluid is at a depth where the beetle or larvae drowns. The trap can be a single unit where the filter member is attached or attachable 5 to the container. Preferably the trap is a single unit positionable below the breeding box of the bee hive. Where there are two or more stacked bee hive breeding boxes, there is preferably a single trap located at the base of the lowest stacked bee hive box. Optionally there can be a light positioned in the beehive. The light is 10 preferably positioned below the filter member. Alternately the light can be positioned to shine into the beehive so to attract the beetles into the trap. The light is preferably a fluorescent The light is preferably powered by 12 voit DC current from a battery, solar cell or any other suitable source. The light serves to attract the beetles past the filter member into the trap where they drown in the oil. Preferably the light is 15 turned on during the day and the night. In another aspect the invention broadly resides in a method for controlling the small hive beetle including having a trap as described above: and positioning said trap below the combs in a beehive. 20 Preferably the trap is cleaned periodically and preferably when the hive is moved. When the hive is moved, the trap is preferably removed prior to being moved. Where the trap forms the bottom of the hive, the trap is removed and replaced with a conventional hive floor before it is moved. 25 -4 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order that the present invention can be more readily understood reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which Illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein: 5 Figure 1 is a diagrammatic exploded view of a bee hive with the small hive beetle trap of the preferred embodiment; and Figure 2 is a diagrammatic front view of a bee hive with two breeding boxes and the small hive beetle trap of the preferred embodiment. 10 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference to the figures, there is shown a bee hive 10 having one or more breeding boxes 11 and a plurality of combs 12 suspended in each of the breeding boxes 11. The bee hive 10 also contains a top lid 13 to enclose the uppermost breeding box 11. The floor of the lowest breeding box 11 is replaced by 15 the beetle trap 14 to enclose the base of the bee hive 10. The beetle trap 14 includes a screen 15 with longitudinal apertures having a width of approximately 6 mm and a container 16 containing vegetable oil. The screen 15 is mounted on side supports 18 and the container 16 Is slidable within the channels 19 in the support 18 below the screen 15. The breeding boxes 11 are then 20 positioned on top of the beetle trap 14. The breeding boxes 11 have no floor but use the beetle trap 14 as the base. In use, the trap 14 is positioned below the breeding boxes 11. The small hive beetle having a length of between 3mm and 6mm will fall through the screen 15 and into the oil in the container 16. The small hive beetle consequently drowns. The 25 size of the apertures of the screen 15 is too small for bees to pass through and thus -5 they are prevented from drowning in the oil. In this way the small hive beetle is separated by size and eradicated from the bee hlve. ADVANTAGES 5 The preferred embodiment is a beetle trap for a bee hive that includes a screen that separates the small hive beetle from the honey bee based on size and a container containing vegetable oil in which the separated beetle drowns. The preferred embodiment of the present invention has the advantage that the small hive beetle is selected on size and killed by non chemical means. Without 10 the use of chemicals, the bees and the quality of the honey are not adversely affected. VARIATIONS It will of course be realised that while the foregoing has been given by way of 15 illustrative example of this Invention, all such and other modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as is herein set forth. Throughout the description and claims this specification the word "comprise" and variations of that word such as "comprises" and "comprising", are not intended to 20 exclude other additives, components, integers or steps.

Claims

1. A trap including a fitter member with a plurality of apertures wherein each aperture is large 5 enough to allow passage of the small hive beetle or larvae but small enough to prevent the passage of a bee; and at least one container of fluid positionable below the filter member when the trap is positioned within the bee hive. 10 2. A trap as claimed in claim 1 wherein the trap is positioned below the combs.

3. A trap as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the trap is positioned on the floor of the bee hive or forms the floor of the bee hive. 15 4. A trap as claimed In any one of the preceding claims, wherein the filter member is a grate with longitudinal apertures or a mesh with substantially round apertures.

6. A trap as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the filter 20 member is a grate with longitudinal apertures that have a width between 4 and 7 mm. 6. A trap as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the filter member is a grate with longitudinal apertures that have a width of about 3.5 mm, 25 -7

7. A trap as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein there is a single container containing vegetable oil.

8. A trap as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the trap is a 5 single unit where the filter member is attached or attachable to the container.

9. A trap as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein there is a fluorescent light positioned in the beehive to attract the beetle into the trap. 10 10. A trap as claimed in claim 9, wherein there is a light positioned below the filter member and above the oil.

11. A trap as claimed in claim 9 or 10, wherein the light has a waterproof covering and is powered by 12 volt DC current from a battery, solar cell or any other suitable 15 source,

12. A trap as substantially described herein with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings. 20 13. A method for controlling the small hive beetle including having a trap as claimed in any one of the preceding claims; and positioning said trap below the combs In a beehive. 25