[justjim]

this is my first year @ bkeeping and i would like to keep everything as organic as possible should i put down some diatomaceous earthon the ground around the hives now to combat shb or am i jumping the gun?:s

 

[mike haney]

rain will eliminate any benefit from diatonomus earth. there are reports of lime killing SHB larvae and its good for most soils. put the earth inside the hive in a SHB trap. good luck,mike

 

[Natalie]

Get yourself some chickens who like to scratch and peck (and eat larvae) in the dirt around the hives.
I have some who love to do that and they never bother the bees.

 

[WLC]

Someone had mentioned keeping game birds to deal with mites. That would require a screened bottom however.

What kind of poultry/game birds find small hive beetles delectable?

 

[Omie]

FatBeeMan has a video on making fairly natural SHB traps:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_KD...676B915A&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=32