Here You Go Guys SHB

[JM]

I installed a new swarm of bees with queen on 10 may 2005, they seemed to be going OK for a week or two. Then I saw less and less workers going out and now so I inspected and found SHB so I cleaned out the bottom board and installed a west beetle trap June 7, upon inspection this morning I fine I have NO Queen and when you lift a frame out it rains beetle larvae. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what to do I think I have lost the battle and the hive.
Thanks
John, Wa4fla

[Phoenix]

Shake the bees into an empty hive body, with the trap on the bottom allowing for the larvae to fall off the frames and onto the bottom and into the trap. Then put new frames in the hive, freeze the old frames for at least 24 hours and then you can put the frames back in the hive. Give the hive a frame of fresh brood from another hive and they will raise a new queen, order a queen if you don't have another hive to get brood from.

[Axtmann]

…….Give the hive a frame of fresh brood from another hive and they will raise a new queen,………..

Make sure there are eggs in the comb from the other hive. Bees can’t raise a queen from larva older than 4 days.

[Scot Mc Pherson]

If you only have a handful of bees a few weeks after installation and you worked the bottom board thusly, its a pretty good chance the bees absconded. SHB in a hive isn't doomsday, they need to gain root and they can't in a new package installation since they have nowhere to lay eggs. SHB lay eggs in empty unused comb. Its one reason why i go foundationless, the bees only build as much comb as they need it.