SHB? Should I treat for it?

[Gene Weitzel]

Unfortunately I am in an area where SHB is very active. I am noticing quite a few adult beetles on the bottom of the inner covers of my newly installed package hives every time I refill the feeders (I squash as many as I can when I flip the cover over). They seem to be very attracted to the sugar syrup in the top feeder (alot of them drown in it). I am pretty much commited to treating the ground around the hive with the ground drench, but the question I have is should I put in the Checkmite+ traps for the adults on these newly installed packages?

[King bee apiary]

I wouldn't ,I'd use a screened bottom board with a tray of veg.oil in it..But if you feel like there are too many beetles or you see the beetle larvae then yes I'd treat with the check-mite.

I know of alot of people using the combat max roach gel inside the corrigated plastic to help rid them as well.But again it's not an aproved method for the control of shb.At least not yet.
Just make sure your bee population is strong enough to handle what beetles are in the hive as they are kilers,whole hives can be killed in days..
Keep em strong,use any equipment that will help,and treat when nothing else works..
Good luck

[Michael Bush]

I don't have any here, but I got to see a lot of SHB in North Carolina. They don't seem to be a problem in a strong hive. It's your choice. There is the problem of contaminating the hive, balanced against the satisfaction of seeing the beetles die. smile.gif

[Gene Weitzel]

I currently have SBB in place but do not have a pan in them. I have not seen any larvae since these are newly installed packages and not much comb (just starter strips and foundationless frames). I am concerned that they could pose a problem for these gals that are just getting started. On the other hand I sure hate to expose them to pesticides as well, this could stress them and make matters worse. Since my soil is very sandy and wet (Houston, TX area) I still am committed to the ground drench and maybe even considering putting in a big cement slab in my bee yard.

[TwT]

the larva will crawl a good ways to get to the soil, fire ants are a good weapon under the entrance in front of the hive as long as your hives are elevated and you do something to prevent the ants from climbing up the hive stand...natures way ;)