Author Topic: Is this SHB (photo)?  (Read 9723 times)

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Offline Wandering Man

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Re: Is this SHB (photo)?
« Reply #20 on: July 09, 2017, 05:55:36 pm »

Uuuugh I'm already green.... Now why is it I can kill, gut, and skin a deer.... but I couldn't handle SHB slime....seriously I would have to throw in the towel.


I think your love of bees would help you through this trauma.

On Edit:  I have to admit that the inside of a hive no longer smells the same to me.  Posttraumatic smell disorder?
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Offline Lburou

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Re: Is this SHB (photo)?
« Reply #21 on: July 09, 2017, 07:41:19 pm »
Do you typically treat the soil under the hive with anything?
When I do treat, I treat for ants and spread ant poison.  But that has been several years.  Ant baits have worked for me, using boric acid concoction.
Lee_Burough

Offline rcannon

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Re: Is this SHB (photo)?
« Reply #22 on: July 09, 2017, 09:36:54 pm »
Hive beetle management:
Keep strong hives
Keep strong hives in full sun
Mash every beetle you see
Make very strong splits and watch them closely
Never provide comb that the bees can't cover
Don't use plastic frames

If you follow these suggestions you can keep the beetles in check. I don't waste money on traps anymore, none of them work good enough to bother. They're more trouble that they're worth.
If the beetles take over a hive, remove the bottom board and set the hive on an ant bed. They'll clean it up in a few days.

Offline Jen

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Re: Is this SHB (photo)?
« Reply #23 on: July 09, 2017, 09:52:11 pm »
Hiya Randy ;) Curious why not plastic frames?

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Offline brooksbeefarm

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Re: Is this SHB (photo)?
« Reply #24 on: July 09, 2017, 11:21:11 pm »
The plastic frames have a rotten smell and SHB are drawn to things hat smell bad. LOL  Jack

Offline Jen

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Re: Is this SHB (photo)?
« Reply #25 on: July 09, 2017, 11:41:17 pm »
Jack!? is that the truth, all the truth and nothing but the truth??  :laugh:
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Offline Lburou

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Re: Is this SHB (photo)?
« Reply #26 on: July 09, 2017, 11:51:55 pm »
My plastic frames have hollow end bars and SHB and their larva can live there without interference from the bees.  Jack's plastic frames will have hollow end bars too.  ;)
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Offline Jen

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Re: Is this SHB (photo)?
« Reply #27 on: July 10, 2017, 12:12:38 am »
Gotcha... Thanks Lee  :bee:
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Offline neillsayers

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Re: Is this SHB (photo)?
« Reply #28 on: July 10, 2017, 01:32:29 am »
I have found that it helps to keep hives on stands with at least 18" from entrance to the ground. I keep the ground raked clean to the dirt and toss chicken scratch under my stands about once a week during summer. SHB fly very well but larva must drop to the ground to pupate. Sun and breeze keeps the ground very dry, which they hate and my chickens scratch under the hives every day. I'm also finding "warm way" frame orientation is making a positive difference.
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Offline Jen

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Re: Is this SHB (photo)?
« Reply #29 on: July 10, 2017, 02:16:37 am »
Neil, what is 'warm way' frame orientation?
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Offline SmokeyBee

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Re: Is this SHB (photo)?
« Reply #30 on: July 10, 2017, 08:39:06 am »
I may try the chicken feed trick. I have ducks that will eat anything...

Online Bakersdozen

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Re: Is this SHB (photo)?
« Reply #31 on: July 10, 2017, 09:00:28 am »
Neil, what is 'warm way' frame orientation?

Ditto:  Curious about this.

Offline rcannon

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Re: Is this SHB (photo)?
« Reply #32 on: July 10, 2017, 08:25:35 pm »
Lborou is correct. The open end bars on the plastic frames are hive beetle heaven. They can hide in there and the bees can't get to them.
Chickens help a lot. Not only with beetles, but wax moths also. I just can't keep chickens around for all the other critters. Everything likes chicken.

Offline neillsayers

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Re: Is this SHB (photo)?
« Reply #33 on: July 11, 2017, 01:46:37 pm »
Neil, what is 'warm way' frame orientation?

Warm way is when the frames are across the entrance. Cold way is how most langstroth hives are set up. I have modified my bottom board to locate the entrance in the side instead of the end.
All of my Warre hives are warm way and although they have SHB in them from time to time I haven't had any damage. This year I have started an 8-frame lang warm way to see what happens. So far, though they are still quite weak, I find almost no SHB during inspection. This is hardly scientific but I figured it was worth a try.

Evidently, it is more common in cold European locales.http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/cwww.html
Neill Sayers
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Offline Jen

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Re: Is this SHB (photo)?
« Reply #34 on: July 11, 2017, 10:00:39 pm »
Well for pete's sake, never heard of this style. Keep us posted on the continual outcome.
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Offline Mikey N.C.

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Re: Is this SHB (photo)?
« Reply #35 on: July 17, 2017, 01:32:16 pm »
Smokey,
Don't know how to post link,  but a very good video to watch is Dr.Jamie Ellis at the national honey show about small hive beetle on Youtube.
It's a must see IMO

Offline Mikey N.C.

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Re: Is this SHB (photo)?
« Reply #36 on: July 17, 2017, 01:48:37 pm »
Neil, please keep us updated on (warm way).
Lee, great pic of swifter pad dragged out.  Was wondering if bees would try an remove.
PS. Lee, those are some big beetles

Offline rcannon

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Re: Is this SHB (photo)?
« Reply #37 on: July 17, 2017, 09:20:21 pm »
http://articles.extension.org/pages/25099/university-of-florida-bee-disease-videos

Lots of good stuff here. Dr. Ellis is a great guy, he comes to the local Bee Day at Dadants in High Springs. Very knowledgable and personable young man. Local Sunday teacher, and volunteers for most every honeybee related function.  He even answers emails.

Online Bakersdozen

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Re: Is this SHB (photo)?
« Reply #38 on: July 18, 2017, 07:49:57 am »

Lots of good stuff here. Dr. Ellis is a great guy, he comes to the local Bee Day at Dadants in High Springs. Very knowledgable and personable young man. Local Sunday teacher, and volunteers for most every honeybee related function.  He even answers emails.
I have heard Dr. Ellis speak.  He is a delightful, entertaining speaker.  We here, in the midwest, like his accent.  :)
 rcannon, you described him well.  Knowledgeable and personable.

Offline neillsayers

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Re: Is this SHB (photo)?
« Reply #39 on: August 17, 2018, 12:12:31 am »
Thought I revive this thread to update everyone on my experiences.

 My warm way lang is still going strong but I don't think it affects SHB at all.
 What I have found that makes a huge difference is the type of cover.
 Following the advice of an AL keep I read on another forum I have gone to all migratory covers. For an inner cover I use a piece of plastic feed sack. These feed sacks are very similar to Tyvek house wrap, made of woven plastic. The bees propolize the inner cover to the edge of the hive body. This eliminates any hiding spots for them and I assume the bees drive them from the hive. I have one hive with a telescoping cover and inner cover. When I went through the hives a week ago the hive with the old style tele cover had dozens of SHB. The hives with mig. covers had none. Same bees, all on the same bench.
Neill Sayers
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