# SHB, How many is too many?



## GSkip (Dec 28, 2014)

Don't know that I have an answer for you. This is my second year with bees. The advice I got and I took it, was to use "Beetle Blaster" traps. They have worked very well for me the past two summers. They were very very bad this year in my area! I have never seen over five or six in my hives. I guess as long as they aren't sliming the honey you may be ok with your numbers.


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

An otherwise strong and healthy hive can tolerate a lot of adult beetles without ever developing a larvae problem - especially as the days shorten. Do everything you can to make life easy for the bees and they will take care of the beetles. Let them get mite ridden or go queenless though and the beetles will do them in.

I often see similar hives in the same yard - practically identical except one has lots of beetles and the other has very few. It's a mystery.


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## max2 (Dec 24, 2009)

David LaFerney said:


> An otherwise strong and healthy hive can tolerate a lot of adult beetles without ever developing a larvae problem - especially as the days shorten. Do everything you can to make life easy for the bees and they will take care of the beetles. Let them get mite ridden or go queenless though and the beetles will do them in.
> 
> I often see similar hives in the same yard - practically identical except one has lots of beetles and the other has very few. It's a mystery.


Agree 100%


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## mgstei1 (Jan 11, 2014)

1 is too many!
Mineral Oil trays and SBB on your nucs and hives. They are a pain but work and work well.
Full Sun
Salt ground around hives.
less manipulation of frames and hive bodies during peak SHB times.
Extract honey frames same day when pulled from hives.
Do not store frames of honey without being absolutely 100% sure no female beetles are there or give her a chance to lay eggs.
Nucs are most vulnerable as usually they are weaker and have less bees.
I want my bees doing bee things instead of running after beetles and grooming mites.


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## dsegrest (May 15, 2014)

The General said:


> The weather finally warmed up so I did a quick inspection today to see what the hive was looking like going into winter.
> 
> The hive is currently 2 deeps with both a top and bottom entrance that are reduced to 1 inch. Top deep didn't really show any problems, capped and uncapped honey in the middle 6 frames with the other 2 outside on each empty. No beetles in this top box. Removed the top box and saw nothing striking as a problem, bees moving around and no beetles. Pulled the outside frame of the bottom box, about 1/3rd capped and the rest uncapped honey. I quick counted about 10-15 beetles total on both sides of this outside frame. Pulled the next frame in and saw about 10-20 beetles on the frame all scurrying about. The beetles were all moving in and out of open cells of honey, dodging bees, but also walking right by them. Most of the bees in the box were preoccupied with eating honey because of the smoker.
> 
> ...


Multiply the SHBs that you see by 100 and then figure they have been laying eggs where you don't see them.

Get some oil trays on fast and change the oil every 2 weeks. A little diatomaceous earth under the hive(s) and about ten feet around it will break their brood cycle and probably take care of them for this year.


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## Robbin (May 26, 2013)

mgstei1 said:


> 1 is too many!
> Mineral Oil trays and SBB on your nucs and hives. They are a pain but work and work well.
> Full Sun
> Salt ground around hives.
> ...


Good post mgstei1!
+1 on the oil trays, Oil trays can save a hive. I found one hive this summer with a bad infestation, added an oil tray and it had killed over 100 in the first 4 hours. I've had the worst SHB problem this year.
I'm adding oil trays to all my hives and my mating nucs. I lost several nucs to SHB. Nucs don't have the bee population to keep the SHB locked up.


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## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

David LaFerney said:


> An otherwise strong and healthy hive can tolerate a lot of adult beetles without ever developing a larvae problem - especially as the days shorten.


I wonder how much time is taken away from foraging or other duties to deal with SHB?


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## The General (Apr 22, 2014)

>I lost several nucs to SHB.
same. Last year I made the mistake of trying to make a few nucs late in the summer and made some a bit weaker than others. Didn't take more than 10 days for them to be slimed after making them up last year.

>I wonder how much time is taken away from foraging or other duties to deal with SHB? 
Indeed. The hive still has foragers moving in and out. bringing pollen sometimes along with nectar/water/soda lol. One would think that if the beetles were becoming a real problem for the inside of the hive, it would be all bees on deck to remove said problem.


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

snl said:


> I wonder how much time is taken away from foraging or other duties to deal with SHB?


Some I'm sure, but that also applies to the beekeepers resources that can be spent on beetles. But usually when you find lots of beetles there seem to be only a few bees on guard duty.


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