# Nematodes for SHB control



## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

I am interested in your topic, but I suspect you will have better success with this subject in the more general _Bee Forum_.


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## seapro220 (Mar 14, 2013)

Hello.
I'm glad that someone else has been entertaining this idea, as I did it last year and really believe that it helped. You can query my username, and see some of the postings/questions I done here to get an idea of how bad it actually was. Basically, I started using the traps that fit between the frames, bottom traps and anything I could do to try and get rid of them. "people" say that if you have enough bees in the hive that the bees will take care of them and keep them at bay - but in my case, this didn't work. I actually almost lost a 3-deep hive that was full of bees (all 3 boxes) whenever I tried to do a split on it - so I ended up loosing atleast 2 splits. I still have a problem, but no where like I did and I believe it's due to the use of the Nematodes. I moved my hives, but treated both locations and significantly reduced the SHB problem. I still use some traps, and catch/kill -but nothing like before. The thing I liked about this idea is that the Nematodes keep multiplying with every 'dinner' they eat and multiply without having to use poisons or continually using other 'hazard' types of treatments. I'm planning on purchasing more this spring myself - and would recommend them .

good luck, and if you want to follow along with my Journey in beekeeping - here's my blog. 
http://cbeesapiary.blogspot.com/

mark


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## The Valley (Jan 21, 2014)

Rader Sidetrack said:


> I am interested in your topic, but I suspect you will have better success with this subject in the more general _Bee Forum_. According to the rules of this _Treatment Free_ forum, what you are asking about is considered a _treatment_.


Ok, being new here, I thought that the treatment free forum would be just the place for this, believing that using nematodes would not be considered a treatment. Guess I will post over there too.


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## TalonRedding (Jul 19, 2013)

Is there by any chance a way you could post information concerning the nematode species you are talking about?


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## WLC (Feb 7, 2010)

Rader Sidetrack said:


> I am interested in your topic, but I suspect you will have better success with this subject in the more general _Bee Forum_. According to the rules of this _Treatment Free_ forum, what you are asking about is considered a _treatment_.


No, they're not a 'treatment'.

"Treatment: A substance introduced by the beekeeper into the hive with the intent of killing, repelling, or inhibiting a pest or disease afflicting the bees."

You don't put these nematodes into the hive. They go into the ground around the hive to suppress SHB reproduction.


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## seapro220 (Mar 14, 2013)

Here's a link to what I ordered, and have had good luck with. http://www.southeasterninsectaries.com/nematodes.php My memory databank doesn't store all the information it used to since grammer school :lpf: but these helped me. It appears that beekeepers are like politicians some times with extreemes on either side, but my thought are to keep them as 'natural' as possible - but, if I can provide some assistance from time to time, it will help our bees -and me- us in the long run.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

WLC has a point. Nematodes intended to control SHB are applied to the ground near the hive. 

Regardless of the point of application, a nematode thread IMO is likely to get more readers and more responses in the _Bee Forum_ or the _Diseases & Pests_ _Forum _than in the TF forum.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I'd be curious what your results are. Keep us posted. But then it didn't sound like you had a problem to begin with...


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## The Valley (Jan 21, 2014)

TalonRedding said:


> Is there by any chance a way you could post information concerning the nematode species you are talking about?


I will be getting them from this same place that SeaPro220 did http://www.southeasterninsectaries.com/nematodes.php
I also want to do a story on them for my Newspaper as we have many Amish beekeepers in this area too, and they are 100% against using any kind of chemical or medicine.


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## The Valley (Jan 21, 2014)

Michael Bush said:


> I'd be curious what your results are. Keep us posted. But then it didn't sound like you had a problem to begin with...



Will do Michael, I am sure to someone that has been at it as long as you this might be just added effort. Like you said, I didn't really have a problem, but after seeing the results from people that have, I know I don't want to go through that, if I can help it.


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