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I made some splits a while back and in one half of one split the bees abandoned the hive, leaving 3 frames of mostly capped brood.
I didn't notice this immediately; it took at least 2 weeks and maybe almost a month. When found the brood was being consumed by maggots, apparently the larval stage of a black beetle which was approximately twice the size usually cited for the small hive beetle. I don't know if it was the infestation which caused the bees to abandon the hive or if it was other causes. At any rate, I saw quite a number of these beetles in the empty hive, all black and about 1/2 inch long, and nearly as broad. The maggots are conical and non-spiny, unlike SHB maggots, and about 1.5 cm long. (The forum software isn't letting me attach a picture for some reason.) There was also a strong smell of decomposition present, but I wouldn't characterize it as the smell of rotting oranges, which is the usual description of the smell of SHB infestation.
So all of this leads me to believe (hope?) that I don't have SHB. But what is it? What kind of beetles are these? I've been beekeeping here in Oregon a long time and this is the first time I've ever seen this.
So all of this leads me to believe (hope?) that I don't have SHB. But what is it? What kind of beetles are these? I've been beekeeping here in Oregon a long time and this is the first time I've ever seen this.