These patties are pre-made from a reputable supplier. These are hives on my roof so suspect they are not SHB larva but could be mistaken. Could also be eggs in the original mix that hatched now that the weather has broken. Not freaking about it, just curious. Any similar stories out there?
Adult SHB can certainly fly up to your roof hives and lay eggs there. And they love grease patties. The larvae need to get back down to the ground to pupate but that fact isn't going to protect your hive from the adults, eggs, and larvae.
Most likely SHB. Get the patties off the bees immediately and plastic bag them and either freeze them to kill the larva or toss in the garbage. If you don't get rid of them you will lose your hive very quickly.
DITTO the above...
Quote from: DCHoneybees on March 24, 2011, 09:09:48 PM
These patties are pre-made from a reputable supplier. These are hives on my roof so suspect they are not SHB larva but could be mistaken. Could also be eggs in the original mix that hatched now that the weather has broken. Not freaking about it, just curious. Any similar stories out there?
we dont have shb-but i have had boxes of premaid patties get fouled with wax moth larve
never on the hive though-just in the box usaly the top layer-and salvaged most of the case
dont know if there are shb in your area-RDY-B
Ya, beetles got to the patties. You just can't dump a load on top of the brood box any more with SHB around. Just a sweet spot for breeding them now. Use just a little bit that the bees can eat up in a hurry. With your maggot pie now, burn it, freeze it, run over it with the truck a bunch of times. Just kill them now before they go into the ground.
Patties = SHB Buffet
...DOUG
KD4MOJ
I agree with all above but I believe it is a little early for SHB's to be laying in DC. Just my opinion.
Hi, Newbee here!
Is there any sense to placing these patties in a mirowave oven and "nukeing" them a bit to kill anything living in them (even unhatched eggs)?
Would nuking the patties "spoil" any goodness in them, or are the patties beyond salvage.
I'm just "thinking outside the brood-box".
Salvo
I threw some SHB traps into the hives...hopefully that will cure the problem.
Re: Salvo's question, I haven't tried it, but I would guess that zapping the patties will end in a pooled sticky mess in your microwave.
Freezing may be the ticket, though.
Freezing would kill worms and eggs, but the patty may still go bad if there is too much poop in it. But if they look good, kill and refeed to the bees.