looking for advice for SHB

[neillsayers]

 A few days ago I treated  a hive for mites after my sticky board showed a increase in their levels. At that time all I had were mites on the board. Pulled the board today and along with a boatload of dropped mites I found some small white larva about 1/8 inch long and one hive beetle.
I'd like to get proactive with these little creeps. I plan to break up the soil around the hives and work diatomaceous earth and permethrin into the ground.
What else works?
Did the thyme oil treatment drive them out? If so, will it help to control them?
Any advice would be appreciated.

Neill

[apisbees]

I have not had any dealings with then personally but from what I have read I would break the hive apart in search of them remove any frames that are infected and reduce the hive size to the population of bees in the hive so the bees can manage the problem

[apisbees]

Also check the overall condition of the hive. Make sure that there is a healthy good laying queen in the hive.

[neillsayers]

Thanks Apis,

When I last inspected 2 weeks ago she had capped, open brood and eggs and a near perfect pattern. I will be looking for damage though and removing any infected comb.

Neill

[Bakersdozen]

I am not convinced that treating the soil around the hive will help.  Those little demons can fly for several miles.  They like loose soil that is easy to penetrate.  I think of compost bins, landscaping beds, etc. 

I sure would like to set a trap in the yard with a lure of some type in it.  That would be fun.

[apisbees]

I am not convinced that treating the soil around the hive will help.  Those little demons can fly for several miles.  They like loose soil that is easy to penetrate.  I think of compost bins, landscaping beds, etc. 

I sure would like to set a trap in the yard with a lure of some type in it.  That would be fun.

Once you have an infected colony It will kill them when they exit the hive and drop and burrow into the soil to pupate.
You already have... It's called a bee hive. Now to keep the little buggers out of it.

[brooksbeefarm]

I havey some of my hives setting with old metal barn siding under the concrete blocks, i also dump wood ashes under the hives or rock salt, that way they have to at least go away from the hives to pupate. Jack

[neillsayers]

Thanks Jack,

Turns out that hive was mysteriously queenless. I have a post out there about it. Yesterday I did a long and methodical inspection.. No eggs, no open brood, a little closed brood. I also found two larval hive beetles with I smashed and no adults. Also found a pretty little emergency queen no bigger than a worker and culled her. Tomorrow I plan to combine with my other hive if weather allows. The hive has strong population and winter stores so hopefully the combine will make  very strong colony going into winter. I like the sheet metal idea though and will be going through my scrap pile tomorrow.

Neill

[Bakersdozen]

I am not convinced that treating the soil around the hive will help.  Those little demons can fly for several miles.  They like loose soil that is easy to penetrate.  I think of compost bins, landscaping beds, etc. 

I sure would like to set a trap in the yard with a lure of some type in it.  That would be fun.

Once you have an infected colony It will kill them when they exit the hive and drop and burrow into the soil to pupate.
You already have... It's called a bee hive. Now to keep the little buggers out of it.

Apis, I see the logic in your statement, but what is "it" that you have treated the surrounding ground with?  Is there any specific time you apply "it"?

[apisbees]

As of yet I have not had to deal with them but they have been found in the province in an area that requires bees to be moved into that area for blueberry pollination. It is only a matter of time before I will need to treat. could be as soon as 3 years but hopefully closer to 7 years.
GardStar® is the recommended pesticide to use for the drench.

From Managing Small Hive Beetles
Soil Treatment

The pupal stage is a vulnerable time in the beetle life cycle. Slightly moist, loose, sandy soil is optimal for their development. Locating colonies on hard clay or rocky soil, rather than light sandy soil, can reduce the number of beetle larvae that successfully pupate. If larvae are present in the colony, soil around the hive can be treated with a permethrin drench to prevent the larvae from pupating, killing them in the soil. Use with caution, as permethrin is highly toxic to bees!

Prepare the site by removing fresh water sources and mowing vegetation around the hives to be treated to allow the solution to directly contact the soil. Mix 5 ml (1 teaspoon) GardStar® 40% EC into 1 gallon of water (enough to treat six hives). To avoid contami­nating the bee hive surface with pesticide drift, do not use a sprayer. Apply the solution using a sprin­kler can or watering can. Thoroughly drench the area in front of the hive (and beneath it if screen bottom boards are used), wetting an area 18-24 inches around the hive, ensuring that wandering beetle larvae will contact treated soil.

Application should be made late in the evening when few bees are flying. Do not contact any surface of the bee hive or landing board with insecticide. USDA testing indicates that permethrin binds to the soil and remains active for 30-90 days, depending on soil type, pH and moisture content. Reapply as needed.

Link to full document Managing Small Hive Beetles
https://www.uaex.edu/publications/PDF/FSA-7075.pdf
also attached as a PDF in case link gets broken.

[Bakersdozen]

Thanks apis!  I was hoping to read when the best time of year is to treat with Gardstar.  From the document by U of Ark, I would guess that this is not the time of year to bother.  One should wait for spring and treat every 60-90 days. 
Maintaining cleanliness around the hives and removing bottom board debris would be help too.

[kebee]

 I have found the best way to keep SHB down in my hives is the use of a oil pan with vegetable oil under a screen bottom board, once the bees knot them out of the hives they fall in to oil never to return.

Ken

[neillsayers]

Started smearing my inspection board with petroleum jelly and it appears to be trapping the larvae. Now that it's cooler I leave the boards in.

[Gypsi]

an oiled sticky board will also trap them never to return, a strong hive will keep them out. small entrances and no top entrance helps a LOT. I do not have sticky's in, in summer, so I put pondliner under my hives so if they drop on top of it in sun they aren't going to live long enough to burrow (it is black and heats up).  At night if they drop they will be crawling a ways before any spot they can burrow, and I have a team of hens that really enjoys any kind of larva that lands.

I use the cloth shb traps in my hive (the labeled one not some household product) and the bees drive the beetles into them and they are trapped by the threads

[neillsayers]

Thanks  Gypsi,

All sound like good ideas.

Just checked my sticky board today after making a combine a few days ago. Found 1 beetle and 2 larvae. Not bad, I think.