Small Hive Beetle signs?

[Yankee11]

Checked a few of my neighbors hives today and noticed honey out front entrance. Heard bees buzzing still inside. It was 30 degrees so we could not open.

Will SHB mate in winter and cause this. I thought they only mated in summer.

[Bakersdozen]

That's alarming, Yankee!  Mice, maybe?  Those danged hive beetles will over winter with your bees, but we haven't had them here long enough for me to know much about their life cycle.  I do know they are attracted to rotting stuff, like compost piles. 

[sc-bee]

Did you ever get in to take a look... should not have been shb in those temps.

[capt44]

Life cycle of the small hive beetle.
The adult enters the hive and lays a cluster of eggs in a cell, crack or about anywhere.
The bees will chase the adult beetles but can't kill them because of the hard shell.
When you raise the lid and see beetles put your trap there. It's called a beetle jail.
The bees chase the beetles to one area of the hive, called a beetle jail.
Now the small hive beetle eggs hatch and the larva enters the cells in the comb and eats on the honey, larva, pollen etc.
There will be thousands of them, they look like a small maggot about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch long.
When they get alittle age to them they try to crawl out of the hive to get on the ground.
When on the ground they will burrow in the ground about 1 to  1 1/2 inches deep where they molt.
It is like a cocoon to them.
When they emerge from the ground they are a full grown small hive beetle and can fly about 1/2 mile or so.
They usually fly around 900PM at night.
I've seen the walk right into the entrance of hives with a lot of guard bees guarding the entrance.
They can't sting the beetles because of the hard shell.

[sc-bee]

And bees have even been seen feeding the beetles or what appears to look as if feeding. Depends on the mood and aggressiveness of the hive as the behavior the bees take.