One BIG Mess

[GAJoe]

I just got my TBH cleaned out. I've been too busy lately and hadn't checked on my hive in a while. Two weeks ago (about six weeks after robbing over 5 quarts of honey) I looked at it and my bees had left. I slid my window cover back and saw major cone failure. A week ago my neighbor came over and wanted to show me something. My bees had taken up on a dogwood tree on his property and were drawing comb. So today I finally got some free time to open up the hive to clean it out and try to get the swarm in it. I had to suit up because hornets, yellow-jackets and giant wasps were on it getting the honey as it wept out. I had no idea of the mess I was getting into. I guess I lost a gallon of food grade honey besides what was in the brood area. And larvae everywhere in the comb. I think they were small hive beetle because there were many adults also. I got about two five gal. buckets of comb out. The ones that failed were the oldest very dark near the entrance. That dammed up the hive and it was 2&1/2 inches deep in honey from there on back. I took all of the comb out and burned it. And I washed the hive out with plain hot water.
I'm thinking I need to treat the ground to kill the beetles that are obviously developing. What should I use? Is there something that is environmentally friendly? Any other precautions I should take before putting the bees back in? I figured I'll take the comb they've drawn in the tree and put it in the hive after I get some new topbars on it.
Should I do any more cleaning on the hive box? It was pretty nasty. If so with what?
GAJoe

[tarheel bee]

The general concensus in our area is that beetles are opportunists and can only run over a hive and get a foothold if there is an already existing problem (mites,FB,weak queen,no queen.....).
dont burn that comb,use the wax. dip the stuff in boiling water and scrub everything with bleach water,air it out and start over. dump the maggots and as many adults as you can in bleach. you can treat the area around the hive with pyrethrum-late in the afternoon. dont know how others do it but sure would like to hear. prevention seems to be the best medicine. monitor your hives health regularly.

[tarheel bee]

oh yes, before you treat the ground dig about 6 or 7 inches into the dirt and try to find pupae. they are somewhat oblong, white and rbout the size of a maggot. if they cant be found consider not treating the soil.

[Ardilla]

One non-toxic option is diatomaceous earth. I haven't used it for SHB but it works well for other grubs/insects.

[tarheel bee]

how is diatomaceous earth applied and where can it be purchased?

[drobbins]

tarheel

you can probably find it in a garden center
you can easily find it online but then you gotta pay shipping
it's a powdery kind of dirt that is composed of the crushed shells of microscopic sea creatures
it has sharp edges that cut the outer coating of small bugs and they dessicate
one form is used in swimming pool filters but you don't want to use this, it's been treated such that the sharp edges are gone
it will kill bees so you have to devise a way to keep them away from it

Dave

[edit]search in the disease and pest forum
there was a resent thread about using it for SHB

[ September 04, 2006, 10:05 AM: Message edited by: drobbins ]

[Wilbur]

Check with a swimming pool supply store for d.e.
D.e. is used in pool filters.

[drobbins]

Wilbur

from what I've read you don't want to use the stuff they use in swimming pools
it's been heated for some reason and the sharp edges have been fused so it won't cut the bugs like you want it to
you want stuff that's intended to kill bug's, like you'd find in a garden center

Dave