SHB

[Bill Murray]

As Im sitting here surfing, thinking, resting and generally wasting time till dark. All the hive I went through today, mid June and only saw 3 hive beetles. Thats almost unheard of. Any body else notice a drop in population this year?

[Terri Yaki]

I'm still failing to look for them during my inspections. I expect to go back in on Monday and will try to remember to look. Where in the hive are you finding them?

[The15thMember]

I also have seen hardly any this year.  Which surprised me because I had a lot of trouble late last season, and I was concerned they'd overwinter in the clusters and I'd have an explosion of them early in the spring.  But even in my little hives I have see only a few.  They are often between the covers or in areas where there are less bees.  They are typically running and trying to hide. 

[animal]

only have 1 hive ... my guess is that 300 or so have died in the oil pan this year and their bodies are still in there, since there's been no need to rake them out or change oil.
Last year I had to re-do the pan twice because the surface was covered in them. Also only saw 2 inside a box this year. .. but the year isn't over and I don't really remember when the big waves of then were coming in.

[Occam]

I've only seen a few, I (so far) haven't had problems with them. In my horizontal hive I see dead ones below the screen in the diatomaceous earth but haven't seen any in comb or on frames. In my vertical langs I have closed bottoms and use top entrances (well towards the top of the first box). I've found a few propolised and squished a couple but nothing major

[cao]

I wish that I could say that I have only seen a few. I have had one of my long hives swarm and the queen must have not made it back and before I could get it queenright, the beetles took over and slimed it.  About thirty deep frames with larva crawling all over them.  I have been needing to modify my long hives.  I don't have any oil pans on them, so they are really prone to have Shb's.  Most of my hives are keeping them at bay as long as they are queenright.  I have had a couple other hives get infested also.  I have found that diatomaceous earth sprinkled over the frames and anywhere else the larva are kill them rather quickly.

[Terri Yaki]

I wish that I could say that I have only seen a few. I have had one of my long hives swarm and the queen must have not made it back and before I could get it queenright, the beetles took over and slimed it.  About thirty deep frames with larva crawling all over them.  I have been needing to modify my long hives.  I don't have any oil pans on them, so they are really prone to have Shb's.  Most of my hives are keeping them at bay as long as they are queenright.  I have had a couple other hives get infested also.  I have found that diatomaceous earth sprinkled over the frames and anywhere else the larva are kill them rather quickly.

Does the DE not harm the bees or larvae in any way?

[BeeMaster2]

DE is little tiny sharp edged shards that get inside the insects folds and if small enough in their sphericals (breathing tubes). It cuts them from inside. So yes, it is not safe for your bees. But you can wash it out once the larvae are dead.
Jim Altmiller

[cao]

Yes, what Jim said.  This was applied after taking the hive apart.  The bees were long gone.

[Ben Framed]

I have seen more than my share here this season.
I did a 'later first' inspection this Spring Season. My hives were infested! Apparently they had laid over from late Fall last Season because I seen no larva (thankfully). Apparently I caught things just in time (before they began reprodcing) Beetles beyond count, spent hours breaking each hive down, trying to kill as many as I possibly could manually. Whose fault is it? My own. I got relaxed after using oil pans a few years ago, and for the last few years the numbers were low after wiping them out with oil pans. I didn't use oil pans last season, allowing them the chance to reboot apparently. Folks can say, "if you see a few only a few in your hives, the bees of a strong colony can handle them. Yes, maybe they can for a while but as with nature the numbers can change, and swiftly! My mistake.

I reassembled each hive WITH oil pans aboard, told my wife, honey the SHB are so many I might loose every hive; Fully expecting too, not knowing for sure...

It goes back to what "iddee" once relayed to us "Like I told a friend, you can't raise a garden and wait til November to buy a freezer. Beekeeping needs to be very timely."
I am happy to report that I must have caught them 'just' in time. My situation is similar to animals and each hive has survived. Moral to this story, can't become complacent concerning Small Hive Beetles. Take iddees' advise;  Especially in my location. Just because the numbers are low one day, doesn't mean things will not change, 'and change fast', in a very short amount of time. Be prepared for SHB...

Phillip

[Michael Bush]

I'm seeing more than usual, but not a LOT more than usual.