Small Hive Beetle

[Perry]

Just how big a pain in the arse are these buggers?
It looks like we will be having to figure out how to deal with these critters sooner rather than later due to our provincial governments refusal to close our border to hives coming from an area where they are now established.
How have they impacted the way you keep bees? Hardly at all, or radically changed?
How do you deal with the harvesting of your crop?
How do you deal with storage of supers, etc. after harvesting?
On a scale of 10, 0 being problem free, and 10 being a varroa scale problem, where would you place SHB?

[Zweefer]

Eagerly await responses, as I've never had to deal with them either....

[rwlaw]

To us northerners, they're more of a nuisance than a threat.
As far as keeping bees
Keep an eye on the bottom board, if you start seeing debris, take a look. The bees'll tear apart comb going after larvae. Keeping strong hives (the bees will harass the beetles to the point of not being able to lay eggs) in full sun.
Harvesting
Pull the supers and extract ASAP or freeze and store in a tightly sealed room. One of the little nasties can produce enough eggs to slime a stack of honey boxes PDQ
Storage
They don't go after empty comb, but make sure you don't store anything with pollen or honey in it, they'll find it.
That said, if you don't have any commercial operations near you, you might get lucky and never see one. I don't see many till the pollinaters move in, then I see a increase in population.

[Lburou]

In the USA, the SHB are more prevalent in the Southeast, there must me something about the weather there that fits their subtropical African roots.  Their original milieu was rotting vegetation like melons, so clear any melon debris right now. 

Strong hives aren't bothered much, its your NUCs that will need extra care.  When I see them, I smash every one I can, but I haven't kept more than 15-20 mating NUCs, and I have time to crush every one of those buggars.  The most effective scheme in some areas is the oil filled pan under a SBB. 

Some in my Club use the beetle be gone to trap beetles.  It helps, even in strong hives. One strong  hive pushes the cloth out the front door when its is full of beetles.

In NUCs, you must act as soon as you see beetles to smash them or you will see the NUC overrun.  Go back in a couple of days and do it again.  Treat the ground under the hives because part of their life cycle is spent a few inches underground. Freeze a frame to kill the eggs and larva, then put it back in the hive.

[kebee]

 I use an oil pan under my hives and it sure did cut down on the buggers, in fact change out the vegetable oil in the pans this morning and they were full of beetles. A strong hive will keep them in roe also, so I don't have much of problem with them.

Ken

[Lburou]

I use an oil pan under my hives and it sure did cut down on the buggers, in fact change out the vegetable oil in the pans this morning and they were full of beetles. A strong hive will keep them in roe also, so I don't have much of problem with them.

Ken

Any pictures Ken?  Here is a picture of the life cycle of the SHB. Some people put nematodes in the soil to attack SHB larval stage.

When you have larva in your hive, distinguishing between wax moth and SHB larva is tricky sometimes, here is a picture of both (SHB on bottom):

[apisbees]

Here is a picture of the life cycle of the SHB.

Do you know what is the life cycle through the winter?
The larva stay dormant in the soil? the adult beetle lives in the hive?

[Lburou]

Apis, my understanding is they stay in the hive, in the warmth of the cluster.  The mature SHB, strokes the mandible of a worker bee, and the bee will reflexively feed the SHB.  Remember, it's dark in there and the SHB gets away with it.  I've not read any account that said larva overwinter in the ground, but, in milder climates, seems likely they could. 

[kebee]

Sorry no pictures, will try to remember to take some the next time I change the oil out of the pan.

Kenn

[tbonekel]

My very first year when I had one hive, I was overrun with them and tried almost everything to keep them at bay. I later lost that hive, not because of beetles, but starvation during the winter. Since I restarted my journey, my hives are in FULL sun almost all the time and during an inspection, I may see one or two beetles. Whether or not, the placement of the hives is what does it, I don't know. It just is what solved the problem for me.

That being said, I have never housed a nuc for an extended period of time, but I do have two single deep hives that have been singles for almost 7 months and I have not seen any beetles in those boxes either.

[apisbees]

If that is the case if we can find a way to knock them off in winter.

[Perry]

If that is the case if we can find a way to knock them off in winter.

Oxalic??

[Lburou]

They are still in my hives this spring and I treat with oxalic acid.   :nogood:

[rcannon]

They are certainly a nuisance. They can destroy a weak hive in a matter of days. Not much trouble in a strong hive in full sun.
I doubt you'll have much trouble with them, Perry. It's my understanding that they can't survive cold winters.
.

[rcannon]

Here's a good video by Jamie Ellis from UF.


When I harvest, I extract everything ASAP and then get the supers back on the hives that afternoon, if possible.
I have never had issues with them in stored supers, but I spray them with BT and stretch wrap them after they dry.
Using your PIA scale, I'd give them a 1 in a strong hive and a 10 in a weak one. They seem to home in on a queenless hive. Attracted to stress pheromones, from what I've read.
I've tried every trap made and don't like any of them. The best treatment I've found is my thumb. I mash every one I see. That brings a lot of enjoyment to my poor old dad. I'll pop the tops, turn them upside down and Dad has fun pressure testing them. He's too shakey to do much, but he sure can mash a beetle.

[Perry]

I saw that video before and I found it depressing.
I am hopeful that they don't become the problem I am afraid of.

[CBT]

We have them here and full sun is the first defense, you can put rock salt around the hives to melt the larva, or use swimming pool filter de- earth that is crushed sea shells around the hive that cuts the worms as they attempt to go in the soil to change into a hive beetle. Late in year the varroa and SHB can be close to equal as one or the other will weaken the hive and with both trouble.

[Lburou]

Dr. Jamie Ellis gave a long talk at the National Honey Show in England last year.  It is worth the time to watch: 

[rrog13]

I spot SHB almost every time I dive into a hive.  I wouldn't say they're a huge problem for me.  I keep a screen vent box on my hives all year round. The bees tend to push them up and into that top box. On inspection, the fist job is a squash fest. This year, with all the rain we've had, I put some spacers to allow more air flow over the cedar chips I place in the vent box for the winter months. When I did my first inspection this year, I found one or two lizards in the top vent box of every hive and no SHB. ? I can't say for sure they eating those buggers or not but if so ...they've got a home as long as they want it. I would imagine they probably get a few bees also. As with all pest management options, I guess a few innocent by standers are acceptable.  We'll see how it goes as the weather gets warmer.  When I harvest my supers, I place them in a freezer for at least two days to kill anything which may be in there. Of course, I only have 9 hives.  I don't know what I'd do if my bee yard was as big as others here.

[Wandering Man]

I have my empty hives sitting outside, waiting for the arrival of my bees.

I've noticed a lizard guarding the entrance of one of the hives. I was thinking I'd be evicting him in a few weeks. Now, I'm thinking I should prepare a private entrance for him.