I tried to split my hive and it failed. The nuke I used was sat for 5 to 6 weeks while I waited to see if they would make a queen. I have taken it down now but noticed a couple of beetles in the frames. They move very fast and are brown. They do have clubbed antennae but they are longer and not squat and square like the pics I have seen of shb. How can I tell if they are shb and what is an organic treatment?
Many Thanks
Rue
Without pix it's hard to be sure.
The best organic treatment is squish the little devils with your hive tool.
Try here
http://www.clemson.edu/psapublishing/Pages/Entom/EB160.pdf (http://www.clemson.edu/psapublishing/Pages/Entom/EB160.pdf)
Thanks. That article is great. Going to print it out. I dont think it is shb. I tried to take pix but so small they are out of focus. My beetle is way too looong and seems to have kind of armour like marks horizontally across its body. There were no other signs eg larvae or slime. I think I will calm down take a deep breath and stay vigilant to look for signs when I open up my main hive which is very strong.
Rue, it would be cool to see some pics.
SHB are very serious in some areas, and can rapidly destroy a colony. Lots of people use various traps that the beetles go into which contain oil, DE or lime.
I have seen various cockroaches, spiders and flies in beehives.
Rue, the only other bug I've found around here was the kudzu sting bug. About the same size but it's shape reminds me of a sheild, and it stinks when you crush it. So far, they don't poise a threat to bees.
a couple betals dose nose not mean the end of a nuke-I my self have come across shb- in california
only in one yard-I took samples to dept AG they confirmed they where shb-they come from africa and are species of sap
beetle --(Ithink) my betals where much smaller than betals seen on youtube vides--but AG confirmed SHB--so at what point
dose this bring a problem to our hives--- should i isolate these bees from the rest of the yards -or will this compound the
problem in this small yard--I have been without this problem for soo long and now they are here--or is it relay gong
to be a problem--must be able to decide whether to integrate these bees and equipment with other bees and equipment
before end of winter--my understanding is there are more than one species of shb-the survival rate of adults is much longer than
most temperament areas allow- how ever most of temperate area can support pupation of beetle lavare-so its a environmental
factor as to whether it will be a bad year for beetles or not--
or for that fact bad or not for many seasons--the betals are becoming a part of our beekeeping life-much to the point that i wonder
how thy survive without beehives to populate--I know for a fact they survive and reproduce in mellon and pumpkin fields
with rotting fruit-so there environment is not specific to beehives--I think these have been with me much longer than i relies
I also believe the prolonged three year drought has changed the dynamic of the beetle--i have yet to see any defistation--
compared to varoa- in my area-good and sound beekeeping and practices will pull you through--when it comes to invasive species
regarding your bees-remember its a game of cheese -to stay a couple moves in front of your opponent is not a bad thing ether-
at this point i am trying to see if they realy as invasive as most say ---RDY-B
Rdy-b Personally I wouldn't isolate the hives on account of SHB. Like you said, they're already here.
What worked for me was the oil traps beneath the hives. The bees chase the beetles and they go through the screen wire and into the vegetable oil. Now when I go in my hives the most I ever see is about 4 or 5.
www.greenbeehives.com (http://www.greenbeehives.com) has directions on how to build your own. They call it the IPK beetle trap or something.
Isolation will be for nill---- if they are already common to the area.
Thanks guys-I will ride the tide and keep you posted --its a concern
for use all--RDY-B