# SHB populations low this year?



## Slow Drone (Apr 19, 2014)

I'm seeing nothing for hive beetles this year also. Last year I saw them everywhere including areas nowhere near any hives. I usually see a few when I make up nucs but I'm just not seeing any, really breaks my heart:lpf:


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## pndwind (Feb 17, 2013)

I'll share.:lookout:


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## r hayden (Sep 27, 2012)

If you asked this question 2 weeks ago I would have agreed. I was only seeing maybe one per hive and maybe two in the bottom oil trap.
Checked the trays Monday and I stopped counting after 30 of those nasty SOB's per hive.
Don't let your guard down, they're lurking somewhere!


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## cg3 (Jan 16, 2011)

I'm not seeing them this year, either.


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## Chemguy (Nov 26, 2012)

I've seen one or two this year, far fewer than last year, which was my first.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

Yep...not so many....but enough.
I've pulled a couple of slimed hives this week. Most likely went queenless and I failed to notice. Even in the slimed hives, with thousands of shb larvae, there were only a few shb. It only takes one....I'm thinkin'.


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## winevines (Apr 7, 2007)

David LaFerney said:


> Very few SHB in my yard compared to last 2 years -


Super low SHB here too, a bumper honey crop, great success with queen mating, and nearly 100% winter survival. i think that cold winter of 2013/2014 ROCKED fro the bees!


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## CessnaGirl (Jan 7, 2014)

I rarely see SHB but my beek friends that live 5 miles away have had record numbers. I haven't trapped or treated. Go figure.


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## Mike Gillmore (Feb 25, 2006)

winevines said:


> Super low SHB here too, a bumper honey crop, great success with queen mating, and nearly 100% winter survival. i think that cold winter of 2013/2014 ROCKED fro the bees!


I've had the same experience here. I know it was a brutal winter, but I think that may have wiped out most of the SHB larvae in the ground with a frost line in excess of 2' deep. Haven't seen one yet this year. I know they will be back, but it's been nice having a break from the nasty varmints.


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## shannonswyatt (May 7, 2012)

I think that Mike may be right. Were I live we have hard clay soil, and with weeks of freezing weather with some days highs in the single digits I think it killed a lot of larvae. I did have a few that overwintered with one hive, but I haven't seen any in that hive at all in the last few months. The only hives I have seen with them in it were a couple nucs that I picked up from NC. Those hives are strong and are keeping them in check it seems.


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## cdevier (Jul 17, 2010)

We extracted 8 frames of honey yesterday. So far this year, I have not even seen one shb.
Charlie


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## biggraham610 (Jun 26, 2013)

Seen Only a couple all season, thank goodness I havent had to battle them yet. Second year, I expect I will at some point, glad that point is not now. G


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## NCbeek (Mar 23, 2011)

Not seen any this year either. Colonies seem far less agressive too. Not complaining. Keeping the oil trays full of oil tho, just in case.


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## tonysea (Jan 22, 2014)

How did ya`ll get so lucky?..it wasn't bad until this heat really hit,my colonies with screened bottom boards have them but not bad at all, but my solid bottom boards are not so lucky,ive declared war on those with two beetle blasters per deep and took some advice from Don the fat beeman and made some acid traps,i just don't like having to pop my deeps once a week to replace oil traps,id rather leave the girls alone as much as possible,Time to order more SBBs


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## BeeGora (Oct 22, 2013)

Somewhere on here I read that you shouldn't have a compost bin anywhere near the beehives. I had one last year and I had lots of SHB. I don't have one this year and I just saw my first beetle this weekend.


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## Santa Caras (Aug 14, 2013)

Lots and Lots and Lots......My biggest pest(and really only...they say that Varroa is in every hive but it's the SHB that is prevalent!) As for a compost bin.........I live in the middle of one in Florida forest.....decaying vegetation everywhere. Havent done the Checkmite yet but sure it's coming. In the meanwhile..oil trays under the SBB, oil traps up in the frames, and my hive tool for SHB mush.


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## biggraham610 (Jun 26, 2013)

I was doing an inspection yesterday and saw a bee cart a larvae off of the frame I was holding. The box is packed with bees, Im assuming they are keeping them in check. It was quite a sight, that worm was wiggling like mad, I was going to crush it but the bee held on and off she went before I could get the satisfaction. G


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

biggraham610 said:


> Im assuming they are keeping them in check.


A dangerous assumption if you saw an shb larva. Evidently....at least one has successfully laid eggs in the brood nest.


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## SpringGreen (Jun 26, 2014)

I found a few in both my huge, strong hives yesterday when I went out to pop the tops and see how the hives were doing as far as capping....but none in the nucs. How strange. 

It did look like perhaps the bees had corralled the SHBs to the inner cover and my moving it let them loose. Ugh. 

My hives sit on carpet, and we have heavy clay soil, but the pests are here anyway. Time to bust out the traps. 

Still no varroa. I check every 3 weeks and haven't seen one yet.


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## biggraham610 (Jun 26, 2013)

beemandan said:


> A dangerous assumption if you saw an shb larva. Evidently....at least one has successfully laid eggs in the brood nest.


And what would be your re-course Dan? Thanks. G
it may have been a wax moth too. I dont know.


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## squarepeg (Jul 9, 2010)

noticeably fewer this year compared to precious years, perhaps the long cold winter knocked them back.


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

biggraham610 said:


> And what would be your re-course Dan? Thanks. G
> it may have been a wax moth too. I dont know.


I suspect that there are often a few larva hatching out in a hive, but as long as the hive is strong they clean them up without any real problems before you even notice them. I could be wrong, but I just don't see how the bees can prevent a few eggs from being laid here and there. I know I have seen the few odd larva in oil trays in otherwise healthy hives.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

A healthy, queenright colony of bees is tremendously aggressive at keeping nest invaders out of the brood nest. Under ordinary conditions shb will lay their eggs in capped brood cells or cells containing pollen. I would say that the opportunity for a female shb to lay eggs in such a vigorous hive is low. I cannot ever recall seeing a single shb larvae. I either see zero, a few or hundreds depending on the condition of the colony. On those occasions when I see a few, it is only a matter of time before there are hundreds.
Let's hope it was a wax moth larva.
All only my opinion.


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## biggraham610 (Jun 26, 2013)

Thanks David and Dan. The Colony is from a split it is in a single deep with a medium on top. It is busting at the seams. But, refusing to draw comb in the medium. I was considering removing the medium but am still holding out hope they will draw when the flow picks back up. i know wax moth and shb larvae look similar, but I was under the impression that a strong colony could defend against both. I will keep a close eye on that colony as well as the rest. Any thoughts on the medium? Remove or Leave? Thanks. G


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## Calbee (Sep 26, 2011)

*Re: SHB populations low this year?/Controlling methods suggestions, please/*

Exactly. I see lots of them in my area too. Just a few days ago popped-up the top cover, and I saw a few dozens corralled by the bees on the cover from inside. And, it's a strong hive. I don't see damages by them yet. I have never seen damages in previous years as well in strong colonies. I don't treat at all. I see much more shb than varoa. What really works to reduce their numbers? Any suggestions, please? No poisons, please.


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## OC_Bees (Jul 4, 2014)

*Re: SHB populations low this year?/Controlling methods suggestions, please/*

I've seen a few SHB in both my hives. No damage yet but both are pretty strong hives. Have screened bottom with oil trap at the bottom lots are dead. Few running around on the inner cover, not treated with check mite or anything just SBH oil trap seems to work well as bees chase down and they fall in.


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## Blackwater Bees (May 7, 2012)

*Re: SHB populations low this year?/Controlling methods suggestions, please/*

I have seen much less SHB this year. I believe its due to a wetter, colder winter and changes in the way our local cucumber and melon crops are managed (in their native africa SHB are only an occasional pest of the western honey bee, but are a pest of the melon crops). Also, we had a good spring and hives built up strong, fast. On the other hand, I've seen wax moths in several hives and in a couple of stored supers. Its always something! If I have to pick, I'd pick the moths.


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## Chick (May 21, 2009)

*Re: SHB populations low this year?/Controlling methods suggestions, please/*

If they are sparse where you are, it is probably because they all came to Texas. I have fought them down in my hives, but they are a real problem here


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