Top Bait Plus 35g with Four Apis Beetle Traps

Stop Small Hive Beetles Before They Slime Out Your Hive

Any Australian beekeeper who has opened a box to find fermented honey and slimed comb knows how fast small hive beetle can wreck a colony. The beetles slip in, the bees chase them into corners, and if the adults get a chance to lay, the larvae do the real damage. By the time you smell it, you are usually cleaning up rather than preventing.

This kit is a simple way to get ahead of that. You get a 35g tube of Top Bait Plus attractant gel and four Apis beetle traps. The gel draws adult beetles into the trap, the trap holds them, and the bait finishes them off before they can breed. Two traps per hive means one tube sets up two hives with gel left over for refills.

How It Works

The trap uses your bees against the beetles. When workers spot a beetle on the comb, they chase it, and the beetle bolts for the nearest dark crevice. The Apis trap sits in the top box offering exactly that, a narrow slot the beetle can squeeze through and the bees cannot. Inside, the beetle finds the bait gel, feeds on it, and dies. The bait contains a low-dose insecticide that works only inside the sealed trap, so nothing touches your bees, your comb, or your honey.

Targeting adult beetles matters because it breaks the life cycle at the start. Every trapped adult is a beetle that never lays the hundreds of eggs that become larvae, and larvae are what turn a hive into a slimeout. As a bonus, the bait also works on cockroaches, which have a habit of moving into lids and mats.

Built for Australian Conditions

The gel is formulated to stay put in a hot, humid hive through a Queensland or northern NSW summer, exactly when beetle pressure peaks. The traps are reusable, scrape them out, refill with a gram of gel, and put them back. One thing to keep on top of is propolis, bees will sometimes gum up the entry slots, so check traps during your normal weekly inspections in warm months and scrape the slots clear. A blocked trap catches nothing.

It is worth saying plainly, traps are one part of beetle control, not the whole answer. Strong colonies defend themselves far better than weak ones, and no bait makes up for leaving a weak hive with too much space. Use this kit alongside good hive management and it does its job well.

Using the Kit

Open each Apis trap and place about 1g of Top Bait Plus in the centre slot. Set two traps per hive in opposite corners of the top honey box. Never put the gel loose in the hive, it belongs inside the trap only. Refill monthly through spring and summer, and roughly every three months through autumn and winter. The product is APVMA approved when used as directed.

Specifications

• Contents: 1 x 35g tube of Top Bait Plus gel, 4 x Apis beetle traps
• Target pests: Small hive beetle (Aethina tumida) and cockroaches
• Bait per trap: Approximately 1g
• Traps per hive: Two, placed in opposing corners of the top box
• Refill interval: Monthly in spring/summer, every three months in autumn/winter
• Trap design: Narrow entry slots admit beetles and exclude bees, reusable with easy refill
• Approval: APVMA approved when used as directed

Is Top Bait Plus safe for my bees?

Yes, when used as directed. The bait sits inside a sealed trap with entry slots too narrow for bees, so they never come into contact with it.

How many hives does one kit treat?

Two. The recommended setup is two traps per hive, and the kit includes four traps, with the 35g tube covering setup plus months of refills.

Where do I place the traps?

In opposite corners of the top honey box, where beetles run for cover when bees chase them across the comb.

How often do I refill the bait?

Monthly through spring and summer, and about every three months through autumn and winter, or sooner if the gel looks dried out.

Will it contaminate my honey?

No, the insecticide stays inside the closed trap, away from comb, bees and honey. It's APVMA approved for hive use when used as directed.

My bees are blocking the trap slots with propolis, is that normal?

Yes, some colonies do this. Check traps during weekly warm-weather inspections and scrape the slots clear, since a blocked trap catches nothing.

Does it work on anything besides hive beetles?

Yes, the bait also attracts and kills cockroaches, which often shelter under hive lids and mats.

Will this fix a hive that already has beetle larvae?

No, the traps target adult beetles before they lay, so it's a prevention tool. A hive with active larvae needs frames removed and reduced space.