SHB Question.

[wmcguire]

This is the first year that I have been able to rob my hives. While doing the crush and strain method, I found 1 SHB running around and killed it. The hive I pulled this from has a lot of girls sitting at the entrance daily, sometime bearding the hive. The heat has been down lately too.

I said all of that to ask about the safety of my honey. Is my honey ruined?

I have order some beetle traps, just waiting on them to arrive.

Thanks for any help/advice/info.

[rrussell6870]

Not at all. Enjoy! If it were slimed, you would know.. trust me...

[wmcguire]

Thank you for such a quick reply!

[Rohe Bee Ranch]

I found one of my hives slimed last night. If your frames look like someone has poured high gloss clear polyurethane on them then you have a problem. Otherwise your honey should be just fine. A slimed hive is very shiney and WET all over! It is truley HORRIBLE!

I've been thinking about putting slimed hives out in my front yard this year for Halloween but don't want to scare away all the trick-or-treaters.

[StevenG]

The one hive that got slimed on me, I laid the frames of honey out in the yard, and let the bees harvest and recycle the honey. Then melted down the combs, destroyed all the beetle larvae in the solar wax melter...very satisfying!