shb and diatomaceous

[slacker361]

The life cycle of this beetle includes pupation  in the ground outside of the hive. Controls to prevent ants from climbing into the hive are believed to also be effective against the hive beetle. Several beekeepers are experimenting with the use of diatomaceous earth  around the hive as a way to disrupt the beetle's lifecycle. The diatoms abrade the insect's surface, causing them to dehydrate and die.


anyone try the diatomaceous earth

[fish_stix]

The larva do pupate in the ground. But larva don't enter your hive and start laying eggs in the cells, adults do. The problem is that before crawling out the front door and dropping to the ground, all those thousands of larva are in your hive, worming through the combs, defecating and fermenting the honey and pollen. So, by the time you have pupating larva in the ground your hive is history. I'm not saying "don't bother," because killing them in the ground will get rid of some future generations. But, you have to control the adults in the hive or else lose the hive. You may not yet have the magnitude of SHB problem we have down south but you need to be ready for them when they get to you. Here in FL our hives will only sit for 2-3 days before SHB get in. Then a couple more weeks and the bees abscond. The frames are a total mess, stinking and slimy from the larva, honey running out the entrance. Many beeks farther north claim that strong hives will keep them under control; BS; I've lost lots of very strong hives! The key is to kill the adults when they enter the hive.

[slacker361]

so I guess what I was saying is no you cant get rid of an infestation with it, but when setting up a new hive with no SHB will the D. E. help in controlling them.

I understand that once you have the cycle going on , it prob wont help that much , but if you did it in the first place.  Of course there is another problem of rain, that will wash D. E. away.

[Paynesgrey]

You could work vermicompost (worm poop) heavily into the ground. It does not stop working the way DE does when when. Vermicompost contains high levels of chitinase, which dissolves insect skeletons (chitan). In gardens, it is effective to preventing most larvae, and ants won't cross it.  But then you would have very fertile ground & need a low, durable ground cover or have very tall weeds/grass all around your hives :).

[slacker361]

yes I use worm poop in the garden every year, it would really grow the grass and weeds around the hive, but good info thanks

[JP]

I'm about as far south as you can get and they are in every hive and most swarms I have run across. I have never treated for them. Can't say why they have never been a problem for me, I think it has a lot to do with the bees themselves and soil type.

They are in the feral colonies I remove as well but never in any great numbers. Twenty shbs in a colony in my area would be considered a lot.

I did have one hive of six abscond at our place in Ms the first week and I do believe it was from shb. I was absolutely amazed at the numbers (hundreds) that showed up in just one week or less in the three I placed on the back of my property.


Five of six are still going strong.


...JP

[slacker361]

so there is no rhyme or reason why one hive gets the infestation and the others dont?