# Small Hive Beetles in your Observation Hive?



## Bonterra Bees (Aug 30, 2009)

Just looking for your experiences and knowledge about the different approaches for dealing with SHB in an Observation Hive: Traps, baits. Apivar, Nemotodes, other? 
Assuming a typical ObH that is tight spaced and must be taken outside to open.
Assuming your ObH is an indoor double-wide or single-wide, between glass, 2 to 10 deep frames. How do you deal with the little varmints. Maybe we can spread some good solutions around.

My long cold Winters seems to adversely affect their numbers in my Hives, wondering if that has something to do with the outdoor part of their life cycle.

Listening,
Mark


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

If there are problems with them I would shake bees in from other hives. Get some brood comb and shake them in, or shake them into a box and hook the box up to the tube and let them move in on their own. You need a high density of bees to handle the SHB and you have a fixed amount of space in the observation hive... so you need more bees.


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## SG12 (Feb 27, 2011)

I look forward to seeing other responses to your post. I found no easy way to deal with them in my observation hive. I occasionally caught them in a tight spot under the Plexiglas and squashed them. It was satisfying, but not efficient. My hive's population fluctuated too much to consistently keep them in check.


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## johno (Dec 4, 2011)

My OB consists of 2 rows of 3 medium frames, as winter approaches I have had 3 or 4 hive beetles get into the hive where they overwintered without laying any eggs. The colony was quite strong and the bees herded the beetles around quite a bit, the beetles just disappeared in the spring.
Johno


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## R_V (Aug 20, 2016)

A lecture given by James Ellis at the 2014 National Honey Show entitled "Small Hive Beetle" at the point where he's talking about SHB in an OH.
https://youtu.be/vUkFcgf4f6Q?t=1356







this is a pic from the video.
so I wonder, when the bees have corraled the SHBs to the side of the frames and you can see them through the glass, can you fry them with a green or blue 100w laser?

or, put it in the sun and use a magnifying glass to burn


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## brushwoodnursery (Feb 10, 2012)

I wonder how often they are run out a vent, only to run back in later; when the coast is clear. Could a physical trap like a swiffer catch them as they scramble around? I have large bottom screens on mine and may try some with a little tape to hold them in place.


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## D Coates (Jan 6, 2006)

I get them. The best way to handle them is to make sure you've got a very strong population in your OH. This is especially true heading into winter. You'll not get to work the hive for months on end and if the dead aren't getting hauled out regularly (weaker hives can't seem to keep up) the SHB's will head to the bottom of the hive where the dead end up. They hide in the dead and lay eggs in there. That's when things can get nasty and out of control quickly if you're no paying attention. When I work the hive I do kill as many as possible but they're always there. You'll never get them all out of there but a strong population sure keeps them under control.

Flipside strong population in a 5 frame OB hive heading into winter almost guarantees a swarm comes Spring. Not a real problem but understand it and plan accordingly.


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## johno (Dec 4, 2011)

Yes about those swarms in spring with a strong OH. I made 2 nucs with 2 swarms from mine this spring in spite of removing 2 frames of brood before it swarmed the 1st time, the resulting virgin queen was soon mated then laid up frames wall to wall and then swarmed. I guess last years beetles may have left with the swarms.
Johno


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## brushwoodnursery (Feb 10, 2012)

R_V said:


> A lecture given by James Ellis at the 2014 National Honey Show entitled "Small Hive Beetle" at the point where he's talking about SHB in an OH.
> https://youtu.be/vUkFcgf4f6Q?t=1356


Watched it all the way through today, thanks!


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