SHB is here

[Barry]

Finally found the first SHB today while inspecting my daughter's hives. Found about 4 beetles. The hives look very healthy, full of bees. No negative signs of varroa. Found some varroa in drone pupa, but no more than one mite in a cell.

I noticed patches of open pupa that had been chewed. Good sign. Then I noticed open pupa that was dark and obviously decaying. Right then a larva popped it's head up. I'm assuming it's SHB?

shb_larva.jpg

[hpm08161947]

Few shb beetles... no prob... Larvae in comb... Not Good!!

[Rohe Bee Ranch]

Sorry to hear that they have traveled that far north. Check them often. Winter won't get rid of them.

[rrussell6870]

There was only one? Check the bee bread and honey surrounding that brood area closely to see if there are smaller larvae. It may just be a fluke grub from a moth. The beetles on the other hand are indeed an issue. If it were shb larvae, you will know for sure very soon as they will be trying to raise as many new beetles as possible at this time of the year... in fall, they will stop laying eggs and start trying to blend in with in the clusters to overwinter... then in spring, they can spread out so that as soon as the hives build up plenty of stores, they can lay like crazy and use the food that the hives have stored to rear the next generations... Good luck.

[rrussell6870]

You may not see any larvae because they are beneath cappings... usually there are tiny air bubbles that can help you find them.

[Joseph Clemens]

Uh, your photo seems to show a wax moth larvae, not a SHB larvae.

This is a SHB with larvae -->Photo Link

[Barry]

That's why I included it. Haven't seen shb larvae, but looking at a few images on the web, can't say I see much of a difference.

[WI-beek]

So Russell, is it myth that winter will keep shb from becoming a major pest up here? I mean will most die off over winter or will they just winter like mites and explode come spring? Does oxalic acid have effect on SHB in the winter cluster?

[hpm08161947]

Uh, your photo seems to show a wax moth larvae, not a SHB larvae.

Had to look again... yea.. I agree.. that's a wax moth larvae.

[hpm08161947]

That's why I included it. Haven't seen shb larvae, but looking at a few images on the web, can't say I see much of a difference.

Could you easily put that larvae on a fish hook? SHB larvae are much smaller that WM larvae.

[Barry]

Wax moth larva don't seem to have as big of a head on them like this one has.

[Barry]

Could you easily put that larvae on a fish hook?

No. It is not plump like wax moth, quite thin. I've seen plenty of wax moth larva and I'm pretty sure this isn't that.

[rrussell6870]

That's what it looked like to me too... pics can be misleading under different lighting, but if there was only one, its a pretty sure bet that its a moth grub because each laying shb will lay about 2,000 eggs in a short time... resulting in LOTS of larvae at once...

[Barry]

I'll go back this weekend and take a closer look with camera in hand. These combs had lots of bees on them, so this time I'll brush the bees off and get a better look at the open brood.

[rrussell6870]

After looking at it again, it does seem to have a head... I would assume its just a fluke grub from some other type of beetle... I would inspect again in two or three days and if you can't find more larvae, I would not be concerned about it.

[Ted Kretschmann]

I have seen hives slimed in Wisconsin after Cranberry pollenation. So yes they can do damage up in the North Country where you are at Barry. Keep your hives strong-otherwise you will not be a treatment free beekeeper. You will either treat for them or be slimed out of the bee business if you do not keep strong colonies. Also do not super as high as you used to--keep them low. Some stocks of bees are more easily overcome by SHB. Dr. Russell is developing a strain of bee that can cope with them-the tiger line. We have stock that can cope with them also. Our bees favorite trick--wall them in a propolis prison and let them die. UH- this is an African honey bee trait. Most likely from our Lamarkii genetics.... Good luck and sorry you now have the beetle from hell to contend with. Beekeeping will change for you. TED

[rrussell6870]

So Russell, is it myth that winter will keep shb from becoming a major pest up here? I mean will most die off over winter or will they just winter like mites and explode come spring? Does oxalic acid have effect on SHB in the winter cluster?

Yes. They can live in any climate that bees can live in and they are actually still active a few degrees below the honey bees range... so they are a little more cold tolerant... however... they use the bees almost like a livestock. Lol. They will wait until the bees do all the work of building up the hive full of pollen and honey before they pounce... meanwhile, they are spreading from hive to hive to better ensure their odds... its summer when or just after a swarm that they really pounce...

Yes, just about any method of killing mites will have a negative or kill effect on shb... those fall treatments that you mentioned will be helpful at the least... baited traps are also more effective in late summer early fall... the idea is to kill every beetle that you possibly can before winter so you can have a safe spring, being able to start new hives without worrying about getting slimed... by late spring/early summer, you will be right back trying to keep them out and kill the ones that you can..

[Joseph Clemens]

Here's a link to a thread from Arvin, showing a wax moth larvae with a SHB larvae lying on top of it. A very good contrast of the differences between these two, very different larvae --> Link to Wax Moth/SHB thread

[Gypsi]

Wax moth 4 center legs were my defining trait. All my shb larva turned out to be small moth larva. I caught them before they got to their full size.

[WI-beek]

Oh man, that's not good news. I hope I get a few more years before I ever see one of those dam things. Every time I ever see anything other than a bee scurry about the hive I almost panic. Seen something black scurry away in a video I was watching of one of my inspection and my stomach sank. I watched it frame by frame and thank goodness it was just an ant, LOL!