SHB Questions

**Slow Modem** · 08-15-2012, 07:40 AM

I have had one hive since last August. I have seen some mites, but not SHB.

I caught a swarm last Friday and brought them home and put them in a new 8-frame deep with 8 undrawn plastic frames, SBB, inner cover, entrance feeder on top of the inner cover, a super around the feeder and then the telescoping top. I had an entrance reducer with the smallest opening open. They have been going through a pint of 1:1 syrup a day.

Yesterday, when I picked up the empty feeder, there were 5 or 6 SHB under it scurrying around.

Why are there SHBs in this hive? How do they find a hive? There's not any comb or honey. I don't think sugar syrup has much of a smell. What wold attract SHB to this hive?

I put some HBH in the syrup the day before I found the SHB. Is it possible that the smell of the HBH attracted them or is it coincidence?

Is it possible that there were some SHB in the swarm?

I'm really perplexed. I normally try to change only one thing a day so that I can tell if the change has any effects or repercussions. But I'm really scratching my head over this.

I appreciate any thoughts from this vast knowledge base of experience.

**mmmooretx** · 08-15-2012, 08:35 AM

I am fighting an SHB problem here in Houston too. Yes they are attracted to the smell of a hive/HBH. They will fly in the hive entrance. No I find it unlikely they arrived with the swarm. If you have hives near by keep in mind their life cycle. The larvae drop out of the hive to mature into beetles that fly back into the hive to lay eggs.

**danmcm** · 08-15-2012, 10:30 AM

Read that predator nemotodes will kill, eat, reproduce in hive beetles. I have some on order also supposed to work on Jap. Beetles and since milky spore didnt seem to for me... Going to use areound house for ants, around hives for shb, and garden lawn for Jap. Beetles... one form of shipping has them in infected wax moth larva wouldn't think it is safe to use in the hive, to bad. Might try the Bt when storing empty frames this fall just read about it sounds cleaner than paramoth

**mmmooretx** · 08-15-2012, 11:24 AM

The type I got for my garden grubs you mix a damp powder in water and pour onto the ground to treat, not in the hive issue. I do not yet know how to use the ones I am ordering tomorrow, instructions come with the product. Here is the link for the one I am going to buy tomorrow:

http://www.bugsforgrowers.com/produc...abditis-indica

When in the ground they infect/eat/reproduce in the SHB larvae that is in the ground, not in the adult beetle form that can fly into the hive. Their story line is that they infect/kill the host in 24-48 hours and actively hunt in the soil their host prey. Die beetle die! Once you get the main cycle near your hive broken you should have less infection in the hive, I hope!

**Slow Modem** · 08-15-2012, 03:35 PM

I ordered a couple of freeman beetle traps for under the hive today. I figure I can always use the ones I have now if I catch another swarm or something (I'm learning you can never have enough wooden ware!). I figure by the time they get here that will be enough time to test the beetle jails (plastic traps) that I put in there today.

56-J.jpg

I'm not much of a photographer (especially with a bee suit on) and I only have my phone camera, but here is a beetle on the inner cover and you can see their size compared to a bee (I don't believe I've ever seen a picture like that before).

2012-08-15_14-45-10_377b.jpg

Yesterday I saw five or six beetles. Today I only saw one. I don't know if the bees have took care of them, or if they have found better hiding places. Also, I went into the big hive today, too and didn't see any beetles. I did put a couple of jails in there. So if there are any beetles, perhaps they will be caught. I also spread some diatomaceous earth around the hives for beetles and ants to crawl through.

Since I didn't see any beetles in the big hive, I can only surmise that they came with the swarm or the HBH attracted them. There's hardly any comb yet and there's no honey. So there's really not much for a SHB to do there. But I'll continue to monitor them.

**Slow Modem** · 08-15-2012, 03:59 PM

I ordered a couple of freeman beetle traps for under the hive today. I figure I can always use the ones I have now if I catch another swarm or something (I'm learning you can never have enough wooden ware!). I figure by the time they get here that will be enough time to test the beetle jails (plastic traps) that I put in there today.

56-J.jpg

I'm not much of a photographer (especially with a bee suit on) and I only have my phone camera, but here is a beetle on the inner cover and you can see their size compared to a bee (I don't believe I've ever seen a picture like that before).

2012-08-15_14-45-10_377b.jpg

Yesterday I saw five or six beetles. Today I only saw one. I don't know if the bees have took care of them, or if they have found better hiding places. Also, I went into the big hive today, too and didn't see any beetles. I did put a couple of jails in there. So if there are any beetles, perhaps they will be caught. I also spread some diatomaceous earth around the hives for beetles and ants to crawl through.

Since I didn't see any beetles in the big hive, I can only surmise that they came with the swarm or the HBH attracted them. There's hardly any comb yet and there's no honey. So there's really not much for a SHB to do there. But I'll continue to monitor them.

**mmmooretx** · 08-15-2012, 05:28 PM

When you install the Freeman oil trays/beetle traps be sure you align/center as best you can. I was off a little and had 20-50 bees die in the oil because the could get into the area. I need to check again on Sat. and make sure there there are no openings. I found that the slits in the baseboard for the plastic varroa count sheet enough for the bees to try and get below the hive above the oil trap.