Start beekeeping this autumn 🍂 Save $78
Start beekeeping this autumn 🍂 Save $78
by Flow Hive 3 min read
Some beekeepers claim that you can deter hive beetles by putting mints in the hive, so we put this to the test. Cedar and Frewoini put mint candies into a hive, and came back to check the hive a week later.
Today we're doing myth-busting. Does the mint thing really work on hive beetles? So we've got these mints here, and apparently we can put them in the hive and it'll scare all the hive beetles away. So let's see, we've got Frewoinii here who's going to talk about the hive and put the mints in. Here are the mints we got sent. And we're going to just break them up into four quarters. Easiest way to do that is when it's in the bag so it doesn't go everywhere. So you can hit them with your hive tool and that will break it. And there we go. Perfect quarters just like that. So legend has it that we just need to put a quarter of one of these mints in the corner of the box, just here on top of the frames. And we might just for good measure, throw some right onto the bottom board as well.
Now there's an opportune moment here while we've got a little bit of space to drop some down inside between the frames there, there we go. That went right through to the bottom board and then it's just a case of opening up this little mint and putting them right in the corners like this. I assume the bees will like that little sweet candy treat, but let's see how long it lasts. It'll be interesting to open it up again next week and see if we've got any high beetles. I've only noticed a couple in here, so it's perhaps not the best hive to test, because there hasn't been a whole lot of beetles. So we might have to repeat this, but that's how you do it. That is the mint trick and we'll see whether it's a myth or not, whether or not it gets rid of those pesky hive beetles from the hive.
Let's get in there, have a look. We put them in last week and see if there's any hive beetles in this hive. So first of all, I could have a look from here. Whoa, hive beetles everywhere. A lot more hive beetles than before. That's interesting.
Next we're going to peel off the queen excluder and have a look in each corner where we put those mints and see if there's anything remaining.
I can see no trace of the mints. So the bees have pretty quickly chewed those mints away. So it was a week ago that we put them in. So who knows, perhaps the mint scared the hive beetles away for a couple of days and once they cleared out the mints they came back. Let us know what you think, whether it's myth or whether you think it works. So we saw straight away there was plenty of hive beetles after putting mints in the hive a week ago. So we suspect it's a myth but it's only a test of one. So if you wanna test this, let us know how you go.
Viewer’s tip
We use sugarless tic-tacs in the pest tray and it seems to work. You might have more success by locating the candies lower in the hive.
Cedar:
Sugarless tic-tacs. Okay, another another one to try. Now if we put those mints in the pest tray, the bees wouldn't have been able to chew them up. So perhaps that's the next thing to try.
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• Recommended for beekeeping in cold climates
• More room in the brood box which can lead to a larger bee colony
• An extra Flow Frame in the super for higher potential honey yield
• 10-frame Langstroth sizing
• Harvest 21kg (46 lb) when your Flow Super is full
• Our most popular Flow Hive size around the world
• A slightly lighter option for easier lifting
• 8-frame Langstroth sizing
• Harvest 18kg (40 lb) when your Flow Super is full
Control the height and level of your hive perfectly, even on uneven ground, ensuring the ultimate slope for honey harvesting.
Keep your hive level to aid in straight foundationless brood comb formation
Keep your hive dry and off the ground, preventing ground dwelling pests from gaining easy access.
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✭ Control the height and level of your hive perfectly, even on uneven ground, ensuring the ultimate slope for honey harvesting.
✭ Keep your hive level to aid in straight foundationless brood comb formation.
✭ Keep your hive dry and off the ground, preventing ground dwelling pests from gaining easy access.
✭ A rasied hive allows the bees to precicly maintain the hive airflow - resulting in an overall healthier colony.
Choose the size and model that matches your Flow Hive
8 Frame Brood Boxes are compatible with 6 Frame Flow Hives.
10 Frame Brood Boxes are compatible with 7 Frame Flow Hives.
If you need assistance in understanding which model Flow Hive you have, please contact support.
Bee suits are designed to be worn slightly baggy over your normal clothing, so it’s best to choose a slightly larger size than you would normally wear.
Be sure to give yourself plenty of room to move around with additional length for movement – ankles and wrists need to remain covered when you’re crouching, bending or stretching.
You do not want the suit to be tight fitting – it’s this loose fitting material that offers sting prevention.
If in doubt or between sizes, go up to the next size:
Height (cm) | Weight (kg) | ||||||||||
50 | 56 | 62 | 68 | 74 | 80 | 86 | 92 | 98 | 104 | 110 | |
145 - 150 | 2XS | 2XS | XS | S | |||||||
150 - 155 | 2XS | 2XS | XS | S | S | M | M | M | |||
155 - 160 | 2XS | 2XS | XS | S | S | M | M | M | L | ||
160 - 166 | XS | XS | XS | S | M | M | M | L | XL | XL | |
166 - 171 | XS | S | S | M | M | L | L | L | XL | XL | 2XL |
171 - 176 | M | M | M | M | L | L | L | L | XL | 2XL | 2XL |
176 - 181 | L | L | L | L | L | L | XL | XL | 2XL | 2XL | 3XL |
181 - 186 | L | L | L | L | XL | XL | XL | 2XL | 3XL | 4XL | |
186 - 191 | L | L | L | XL | XL | XL | 2XL | 3XL | 4XL | 5XL | |
191 - 197 | XL | XL | XL | 2XL | 2XL | 2XL | 3XL | 4XL | 5XL | ||
197 - 204 | 2XL | 2XL | 2XL | 3XL | 3XL | 4XL | 5XL | 5XL |
Height (feet) | Weight (lbs) | ||||||||||
110 | 123 | 137 | 150 | 163 | 176 | 190 | 203 | 216 | 229 | 243 | |
4'9" - 4'11" | 2XS | 2XS | XS | S | |||||||
4'11" - 5'1" | 2XS | 2XS | XS | S | S | M | M | M | |||
5'1" - 5'3" | 2XS | 2XS | XS | S | S | M | M | M | L | ||
5'3" - 5'5" | XS | XS | XS | S | M | M | M | L | XL | XL | |
5'5" - 5'7" | XS | S | S | M | M | L | L | L | XL | XL | 2XL |
5'7" - 5'9" | M | M | M | M | L | L | L | L | XL | 2XL | 2XL |
5'9" - 5'11" | L | L | L | L | L | L | XL | XL | 2XL | 2XL | 3XL |
5'11" - 6'1" | L | L | L | L | XL | XL | XL | 2XL | 3XL | 4XL | |
6'1" - 6'3" | L | L | L | XL | XL | XL | 2XL | 3XL | 4XL | 5XL | |
6'3" - 6'5" | XL | XL | XL | 2XL | 2XL | 2XL | 3XL | 4XL | 5XL | ||
6'5" - 6' 7" | 2XL | 2XL | 2XL | 3XL | 3XL | 4XL | 5XL | 5XL |
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Hive
Flow Hive 2 - 6 Frames – Dispatches in 1-2 working days
Flow Hive 2 - 7 Frames – Dispatches in 1-2 working days
Bee Suit
Flow Bee Suit – Organic Cotton - 2XS – Dispatches in 1-2 working days
Flow Bee Suit – Organic Cotton - XS – Dispatches in 1-2 working days
Flow Bee Suit – Organic Cotton - S – Early December
Flow Bee Suit – Organic Cotton - M – Dispatches in 1-2 working days
Flow Bee Suit – Organic Cotton - L – Early December
Flow Bee Suit – Organic Cotton - XL – Early December
Flow Bee Suit – Organic Cotton - 2XL – Dispatches in 1-2 working days
Flow Bee Suit – Organic Cotton - 3XL – Dispatches in 1-2 working days
Flow Bee Suit – Organic Cotton - 4XL – Dispatches in 1-2 working days
Flow Bee Suit – Organic Cotton - 5XL – Dispatches in 1-2 working days
Flow Smoker
Flow Smoker – Dispatches in 1-2 working days