Beetle ID?

[Kurt S]

I've seen a cockroach like beetle around the hives a few times.
Now this is in Michigan and mid-day, so I highly doubt they are cockroaches. But the long antennae and the general look is similiar. I'm outside a lot and I've only seen it by the hives.

Just a bug or something I should be concerned about? Definitely not the shb.

(btw, it's a wooded setting, no grass/lawn, just native plants.)

Thanks!
Kurt

[RonS]

I don't think that you have to be concerned, especially given the size that you described. Agree that it definitely is not SHB. It likely found that your bees are dropping pollen, maybe some nectar, poop, and body parts near the hive and is capitalizing on it.

[Bee Draggle]

I don't know about MI but in Tenn. we have a long, narrow, chestnut brown looking insect called a woodroach that likes to get between the inner cover and out cover. They are about an inch long and scurry around very fast. They are a native roach that lives outdoors and occasional will get in the house. They don't seem to do any harm to the bees and only uise the hive as a place to hide.

Check out:
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2119.html

[power napper]

Bee Draggle--we have a fancier name for those critters here--woodlice--no one wants to hear roach, but lice sounds more gentle to some people.

[D Coates]

Personally I'd prefer to have roaches to lice. I'll be sure to call them wood roaches.

[Dan Williamson]

Every hive I have that uses innercovers and telescoping covers has wood roaches scurrying every time I open the hives. I don't have that issue with migratory covers.

[ScadsOBees]

I think I'd rather have woodlice AND wood roaches to the maurading hoards of earwigs.....:mad:

[Rabbitdog]

I have always heard of them referred to as woodS roaches. In other words, they are the roach of the forest. In any case, they do no harm at all in the bees home or yours.

[Kurt S]

That's the bug. I didn't realize there was a northern native cockroach.
Thanks guys!

[BjornBee]

Just don't smoke the roaches.....