dave28210
07-29-2009, 05:35 PM
Like many folks in the Southeast, I have been battling the SHB. This is my first year beekeeping, and I got 2 nucs from the same source. They are in the same location and I have been having trouble out of one from the start. (They are both getting requeened in September, so no worries on that).
However, the hive on the right has always been weaker, while the other hive fills out anything I give them. I tried giving brood to pep up the weaker hive, and it worked--somewhat. So of course in their weakened state the SHB moved in and has been causing some serious trouble. The stronger hive has got some of the SHBs as well, but the girls seem to have the numbers to take care of themselves. Bees from both hives have been chasing the beetles around, and dragging larvae out the entrance in droves.
Here is what I have done so far:
Upon escalation of the SHB population in the weaker hive, I decided that since the girls were taking their sweet time filling out their second deep (The bottom deep was a long time coming, but now is beautiful and full), and spending more time chasing the beetles than doing "their thing," that I would confine things a bit. They are well into the top brood box, so removal was not at all an option. I have had landscaper's drop cloths below and around the hives a few feet since day one of nuc installation.
So the compromise on space was this: laying newspaper between the two boxes, as though I was combining two weaker hives. I used 3 layers of newspaper so it would take a bit longer for the bees to chew through. I then took a piece of newspaper, folded it in half to fit the recess in my screened bottom board. I poked holes with a toothpick to let at least some air through. I use screened inner covers here as well. So I cut ventilation considerably, literally split the hive in half with newspaper temporarily, with the hopes that the bees could better take care of the beetles, while depriving the beetles places to hide or run to (especially hiding in that half empty top brood box!) All of these actions took place one week ago.
As of today: I went into the weaker hive for an inspection. The bees chewed through the newspaper, as expected. The top box is much fuller and filled out than it was one week ago. The beetle count was not great, but substantially lower than it had been. I would have to say I saw at least a 30%-40% reduction in the beetles I could spot. And I looked good and hard. No beetle larvae was being removed from the hive by the bees, and they were all acting like a pretty happy family.
My actions today- After cleaning up the bits and pieces of newspaper (I'm leaving the newspaper on the SBB, since I am lucky enough to have a nonexistent Varroa population), I mixed up a solution of roughly 4tsp cinnamon, 4 pints of water, a few drops of lemongrass oil, and four ounces of Hydrogen Peroxide. I used a garden mister and gave a light coat of this solution on the tops of each frame. If I do this again, I will use less cinnamon, or apply it directly- the mister does not like to feed it very well. I then used a majority of the solution to spray the sides and backs of my hive bodies, hive stand, bricks, and groundcloth/soil in the area. I then took dry cinnamon and covered the groundcloths and surrounding soil about 3 or 4 feet in each direction.
The bees didn't miss a beat, and this was even after me being in the hive for a good 15 minutes with overcast weather around 5:30pm. The few beetles I saw were none too pleased with my concoction. I even took a couple minutes to watch a beetle on the outside of my hive body try to navigate around the droplets of my spray that had settled where the bottom board and hive stand meet. He would not go near it, and I enjoyed his "panicked" movements until he met the business end of my hive tool shortly thereafter.
I am prepared to feed syrup mixed with the peroxide to the weaker hive, but what I have premixed is 16 oz peroxide dosed in 15 quarts of syrup. So we are starting small. The feeders will go back on tonight maybe, if not tomorrow morning. I am currently watching the sun peek back out here in NC after a few days of rain and overcast conditions, so we'll see.
I have been reading about everyone's SHB issues, and I find you guys very helpful, even though I reckon I'm not as much a "newbee" anymore.
So since I have been helped out so much by all the other beekeepers on here, I feel like I should share the tactics I have come up with to fight this pest. I will keep everyone posted on how this works. But the conclusion I have drawn so far is that the newspaper slowed the SHB's mobility and allowed the bees to play "catch up" for just a bit. :thumbsup: So if there is a weak colony issue, perhaps that is a good way to nudge nature in the right direction without resorting to chemicals as a first defense.
However, the hive on the right has always been weaker, while the other hive fills out anything I give them. I tried giving brood to pep up the weaker hive, and it worked--somewhat. So of course in their weakened state the SHB moved in and has been causing some serious trouble. The stronger hive has got some of the SHBs as well, but the girls seem to have the numbers to take care of themselves. Bees from both hives have been chasing the beetles around, and dragging larvae out the entrance in droves.
Here is what I have done so far:
Upon escalation of the SHB population in the weaker hive, I decided that since the girls were taking their sweet time filling out their second deep (The bottom deep was a long time coming, but now is beautiful and full), and spending more time chasing the beetles than doing "their thing," that I would confine things a bit. They are well into the top brood box, so removal was not at all an option. I have had landscaper's drop cloths below and around the hives a few feet since day one of nuc installation.
So the compromise on space was this: laying newspaper between the two boxes, as though I was combining two weaker hives. I used 3 layers of newspaper so it would take a bit longer for the bees to chew through. I then took a piece of newspaper, folded it in half to fit the recess in my screened bottom board. I poked holes with a toothpick to let at least some air through. I use screened inner covers here as well. So I cut ventilation considerably, literally split the hive in half with newspaper temporarily, with the hopes that the bees could better take care of the beetles, while depriving the beetles places to hide or run to (especially hiding in that half empty top brood box!) All of these actions took place one week ago.
As of today: I went into the weaker hive for an inspection. The bees chewed through the newspaper, as expected. The top box is much fuller and filled out than it was one week ago. The beetle count was not great, but substantially lower than it had been. I would have to say I saw at least a 30%-40% reduction in the beetles I could spot. And I looked good and hard. No beetle larvae was being removed from the hive by the bees, and they were all acting like a pretty happy family.
My actions today- After cleaning up the bits and pieces of newspaper (I'm leaving the newspaper on the SBB, since I am lucky enough to have a nonexistent Varroa population), I mixed up a solution of roughly 4tsp cinnamon, 4 pints of water, a few drops of lemongrass oil, and four ounces of Hydrogen Peroxide. I used a garden mister and gave a light coat of this solution on the tops of each frame. If I do this again, I will use less cinnamon, or apply it directly- the mister does not like to feed it very well. I then used a majority of the solution to spray the sides and backs of my hive bodies, hive stand, bricks, and groundcloth/soil in the area. I then took dry cinnamon and covered the groundcloths and surrounding soil about 3 or 4 feet in each direction.
The bees didn't miss a beat, and this was even after me being in the hive for a good 15 minutes with overcast weather around 5:30pm. The few beetles I saw were none too pleased with my concoction. I even took a couple minutes to watch a beetle on the outside of my hive body try to navigate around the droplets of my spray that had settled where the bottom board and hive stand meet. He would not go near it, and I enjoyed his "panicked" movements until he met the business end of my hive tool shortly thereafter.
I am prepared to feed syrup mixed with the peroxide to the weaker hive, but what I have premixed is 16 oz peroxide dosed in 15 quarts of syrup. So we are starting small. The feeders will go back on tonight maybe, if not tomorrow morning. I am currently watching the sun peek back out here in NC after a few days of rain and overcast conditions, so we'll see.
I have been reading about everyone's SHB issues, and I find you guys very helpful, even though I reckon I'm not as much a "newbee" anymore.
So since I have been helped out so much by all the other beekeepers on here, I feel like I should share the tactics I have come up with to fight this pest. I will keep everyone posted on how this works. But the conclusion I have drawn so far is that the newspaper slowed the SHB's mobility and allowed the bees to play "catch up" for just a bit. :thumbsup: So if there is a weak colony issue, perhaps that is a good way to nudge nature in the right direction without resorting to chemicals as a first defense.