Small hive beetles

See a few beetles occasionally. Did have a couple combs slimed in the honey house hot room. No problems in the apiary. They don't winter well here in Vermont, and I wouldn't bother trying to trap them.

Anybody else see SHB?
I have had strong hives with them and what I've been reading that's not uncommon.
Swifter pads tomorrow
Traps with mineral oil. Didn't really get great results for me.

Thinking robbing indicates weak colony. Large number of drones in dead cluster. Both point to failing queen or maybe drone layer

Interesting, so what were you thinking.
She knew she was failing?

There was also evidence of a small amount of robbing.
Could this have attributed to the unusual number of drones seen here?

The reason I ask about the queen...the large number of drones in the photo.

Very low numbers going into the fall, she was there Mike but it was a small swarm caught in a bait trap. As the hive dwindled the SHB took over so in went the beetle trap.
I guess I needed more bees to chase them into the beetle trap?

Did the queen fail David?

Today I took a part a dead out. This was a hive that didn't have much hope going into the late fall.
I knew I had SHB so I did an experiment with a hive beetle trap. The plastic ones with the well and mineral oil to drown them... I caught 3.
Looks like I'll be reading up on an alternative solution.

I think with our record high temperatures this summer it's allowed them to establish them selves in our neck of the woods. I have beetle traps in several of my hives ... checked them yesterday after a week and nothing.
It's shocking
These traps have mineral oil to drown the beetles in if they run for cover from my bees.
Fingers crossed

SHB traps seam to work ok a screen bottom board with a tray coated in crisco

Dave, I'm seeing hive beetles too! Mites, moths and SHB! I just want to cry! I ordered MAQS to arrive today. What do you use for SHB?

Come up with a plan David

Ron I think next spring nucs and packages from the south are either going to be sky high ($) or difficult to get, or both...
With this spraying for Zika in our southern states.
This will make an impact on what will come into Vermont. It will also heighten everyone's awareness to " Buy Local " .
I totally get it, it's a supply and demand issue for us. Let's just hope it's not a bottom line thinking.... ( package $90 or local nuc at $160)

I believe we (VBA) needs to free up some of this 40 or 50 thousand dollars we're holding and invest it in better education ... Pay someone to teach queen raising, buy some of these visual aides I keep harping about to show at farmers markets, schools, special events, north and south yards.
Wholesale purchases for club members to purchase at a discount. or a VBA members discount from one of our suppliers.
Anybody else feel this is important?

David
We as clubs and VBA and beginner courses need to put a big push on buying local
Raised Queens and Nucs.
Every second year beekeeper has the resources to build a couple Nucs
Mike Palmer has promoted the nuc for years now and I really think people are finally seeing the
Light.

I have them on order Ron...
It is sad, somebody around me also has a problem.
Wish we could outlaw packages and nucs at our borders.
Next year I'll be raising as many queens as possible, only wish I had put together more nucs for people to buy

David
Have you installed beetle traps.
As yesterday I could see they do catch beetles,a friend in Maryland said his screen bottom boards help catch a lot of beetles as well .
Just a shame we have to contend with a problem from the south.

The thing is with the beetle is they seem to stress me out as well as my girls. I just pulled apart another strong hive only to find them mostly on the outside frame up against the hive body wall. As I squashed them and replaced the frame I watched as my girls imedeatly fly off with the dead carcasses. The beetle will occupy a strong hive. I have some plastic frames and the seem to like to hide inside the cavity on the edges that butt up against the next frame so no more plastic for me.

David
Thank You for the information.
Based on what I seen I would say he has the beetles,out of the hive.
As I went threw every frame and no beetles or larva.
But as I said the traps had a lot of beetles.

I've heard from several sources the MAQS will make the SHB run for cover but I think the only designed chemical is Checkmite +
I belive the only place the SHB larvae will survive / live is in the honey, so I wonder if it may have been Greater moth larvae under his bottom board he was seeing