SHB by the hundreds.

[BeeMaster2]

This past Thursday I checked/cleaned all of my trays for SHB and moths. In my yard, none of the oil trays (most are dry) had more than a few SHBs. They have way more shade than I prefer. Then I went to my out apiary to add a super. When I opened the tray (it was dry) there was at minimum 400 of them. Normally I just start killing them with my hive tool and fingers. Way to many for that so I opened my smoker can and dumped them and closed the lid and then started killing hundreds on the ground and they were all over me on my arms and neck. I later added acetone to the can to kill them without using any poisons.
What is so strange about this is that this hive has full sun and is on an old cement slab dog kennel. I rarely even see SHB in this hive. When I took the STB off to add the sixth medium super, there was only one SHB in the top of the hive, this is where I see most of the SHBs in my hives. This is a massive hive that on a weight test, I can barely lift the back of the hive with 2 hands, finger tips only.
This was completely reverse of what I normally find in my hives.
I haven't done it yet but I will bee adding oil to that tray.
Jim

[Willow]

SHB, STB, Apiary ?. Im new an dont know the terms

[rookie2531]

SHB, STB, Apiary ?. Im new an dont know the terms

I think,
stb= super top box
SHB= small hive beetle

Look for Michael bush on here and at the bottom of every post is his website. I think he has terminology there. Also honey bee suite has one. Just Google honey bee websites and read, read, read.

[BeeMaster2]

SHB, STB, Apiary ?. Im new an dont know the terms

I think,
stb= super top box
SHB= small hive beetle

Look for Michael bush on here and at the bottom of every post is his website. I think he has terminology there. Also honey bee suite has one. Just Google honey bee websites and read, read, read.

Close Rookie,
SHB Small Hive Beetles.
STB Screen Top Board
Jim

[rookie2531]

Oh, I never heard of a screened top board. Is this an inner cover that is screened, or like a screened ventilation box?

[capt44]

Small Hive Beetles are hitting hives hard and all at once this year.
I had one hive that I went in and marked the queen at noon on Monday.
I went in again at 5:30 Wednesday afternoon and the beetles had taken over the hive, larva everywhere.
I started using Beetle Barns and baiting with Check Mite strips cut into pieces.
I now have 2 beetle barns in each hive, one on top of the frames in the upper box and one in the entrance on the bottom board.
I now have the beetles under control I hope.

[BeeMaster2]

Oh, I never heard of a screened top board. Is this an inner cover that is screened, or like a screened ventilation box?

All it is is a 2" section of super with a window screen stapled to it to cover one side, cover the screen with a 3/8 x 3/4" strip of wood. Cut 1/8" slots with a table saw In the middle of the 2" side boards for ventilation and to allow the SHB  to get in above the screen. When you open it be ready to kill a bunch of SHBs that are trapped above the hive.
Jim

[rookie2531]

Oh, I never heard of a screened top board. Is this an inner cover that is screened, or like a screened ventilation box?

All it is is a 2" section of super with a window screen stapled to it to cover one side, cover the screen with a 3/8 x 3/4" strip of wood. Cut 1/8" slots with a table saw In the middle of the 2" side boards for ventilation and to allow the SHB  to get in above the screen. When you open it be ready to kill a bunch of SHBs that are trapped above the hive.
Jim

Thanks again Jim, I hope I never need them. But good info in case I do.

[BeeMaster2]

Rookie,
In your area, if you clean out your hives in the fall, of all SHBs and you do not have any other hives in your area where they can winter over in a hive, you can pretty much get rid off them during the winter.
They cannot survive freezing in any part of their life cycle.
Jim

[Chick]

What happens, is the workers are normally keeping the beetles at bay, somewhere in the box. When you open the box, the workers move and allow the beetles to scatter, so a few days later, larva is present.

[BeeMaster2]

What happens, is the workers are normally keeping the beetles at bay, somewhere in the box. When you open the box, the workers move and allow the beetles to scatter, so a few days later, larva is present.

Yes, from working with my observation hive, after I take it apart, usually because they are ready to swarm, the bees are so busy trying to fix the hive that they ignore the SHBs. The SHBs know it and walk around the hive like they own it. It may take up to 3 days before the bees start to react to the SHBs. By then the eggs are starting to hatch and the bees start removing the larvae by the hundreds. If it is a weak hive, they may not bee able to clean out all of the larvae and the hive gets slimed.
If you are careful to not disturb the hive too much, minimize the smoke (they have to clean off all of the residue) and put it back the same way it was, you will reduce the stress on the hive an shorten the recovery time.
Jim

[sterling]

Diatomaceous Earth on the ground around the hives and in the trays will help alot. I mix some with hydrated lime in the trays under the sbb.

[marktrl]

I tried hydrated lime last winter, doesn't work at all here. It just hardens on the bottom and wax moth larva have a field day in the wax droppings. And the SHB's go unchecked. Needless to say I went back to oil and have gotten them back under control.

[BeeMaster2]

Diatomaceous Earth on the ground around the hives and in the trays will help alot. I mix some with hydrated lime in the trays under the sbb.

This only kills the larvae that are leaving your hive to pupate. I kill thousands of beetles and all of the larvae when I put oil in the tray.
My first 2 years I killed thousands of beetles in every hive every month and the still kept coming in. They smell your hives from miles away and home in on them. You really need to kill them in the hive.
Jim

[BeeMaster2]

Update.
I took a bottle of cooking oil to that hive this morning. Had the bottle of oil open and ready when I pulled the tray out. There were close to one hundred SHBs in that tray again. It took a while to knock all of the beetles off the wood door into the oil.
Hopefully I will eliminate the rest of the beetles in the area whit that oil tray.
Jim

[biggraham610]

Good Luck Jim, hope I never have to deal with them little bastards. I see 1 or2 from time to time. Never more. Not yet anyway. Good Luck. G :chop:

[Satch]

Hate to say told you so, but you know.

Like I said, this is the worst year I have ever had with these creatures and am trying several different options.  Have not found the magic bullet yet, but I keep after it.

Good luck with getting rid of the monsters.  About your only option with what you described is checking all the supers, and move the hive to break the breeding cycle.

[Santa Caras]

A commercial beek at tha club (1000 hives) says besides the diffrent oil traps he uses an insecticide called Tri-Star that he sprays underneath his hives to kill the pupating SHB stage. Works for me if I could git a hold of any but I believe its commercial grade sold only to those with a licenses.

[BeeMaster2]

Good Luck Jim, hope I never have to deal with them little bastards. I see 1 or2 from time to time. Never more. Not yet anyway. Good Luck. G :chop:

Thanks. When I put oil in the trays, it really does knock down their numbers. It is just messy to clean up.
Jim