# SHB destruction *graphic*



## JStinson (Mar 30, 2013)

SB damage is the worse. Yours is particularly bad. 



> I first hive seemed to ignore the beetles. Interestingly, the stronger hive always seemed to have bees just chasing them around. Not sure if they were actually able to catch them, but they would constantly chase.


That's the key to SHB control. Having enough bees in there to keep them running around. If the beetles are running around, they can't lay eggs. Also, a strong hive can take care of the larvae pretty easily too. 




> Anyways, I nuked the nuc and all the beetles and disgusting little creatures are dead now.


You can just clean it all up with water and let it dry. No need to nuke it all. The frames, of course, are trash.


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## banachsplumbing (Jan 20, 2012)

Sorry to hear and see....I HATE those things!


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## Adam Foster Collins (Nov 4, 2009)

THAT is *gross.*


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## frazzledfozzle (May 26, 2010)

that is really awful!

what a horrible thing to have happen to you 

I hope we never get SHB in our country


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## Bee Whisperer (Mar 24, 2013)

That is one of the most putrid, disgusting things I have seen in a hive. I think I would have burned it too; just for the annihilation factor. Whoever finds the way to rid America of the SHB will be a hero. Sorry you had to deal with those nasty things. inch:


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## naomi1431 (Jul 7, 2013)

cbf--I've been having a rough time with the SHB up in Birmingham as well. (Though, not as rough a time as you've been having by the looks of things...) You can expect to have them in your other hive soon. If the hive's strong they'll keep them in check. 

Here's what we've tried so far:
-The little bait traps that fit between the frames up at the top. (Not great result. We've been baiting with vinegar. Suggestions for bait, anyone?):s
-A slide in tray full of oil under a 1/8" screened bottom board. :thumbsup:
-A slide in tray full of soapy water under a 1/8" screened bottom board. :s
-Nematodes. Don't really know if they're working yet or not. But, I'm excited about the prospect. They came in the mail & I sprayed them around the hives on Wednesday and the ground's been damp since then, which is good for nematodes, apparently. 
-Shrinking the hive down. (I think this has really helped.) 
-Oh, I also read that you can freeze frames to kill the beetle larvae. So, I've frozen the most beetle invested frames, which were honey supers & not brood anyway. 

Anyone else have a brilliant idea for keeping the little devils in check?


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## Bee Whisperer (Mar 24, 2013)

Naomi1431;

Let me know if the Nematodes work out. I have been thinking of doing that.


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## WVMJ (Apr 2, 2012)

I just did an inspection on a nuke and I think I was 1 day from it being overrun with beetles, I saved the honey comb into a strong hive, it had very few larva but the brood comb had a bunch on it and I put it out in the sun and then hundreds and hundreds of little tiny larva came pouring out of some sealed cells, like a stampeded. I left them in the sun to suffer then froze them and gave to to a very strong nuc that is about to burst with new bees. 

My question is how do you think you can transfer frames without having eggs on them? And since the larva hatch in cells and are very very little you cant be sure you dont have some of them either.

WVMJ


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## Seymore (May 1, 2009)

I haven't tried it, but I talked with someone who said they had success with pool salt. Put a good layer of it around and under the hive. Of course, you bes be sure you don't want ANYthing growing there for a Very long time. Would ruin the soil.


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## cbf89 (Jul 5, 2013)

I used permethrin around the hives when I first discovered the infestation so hopefully that killed any that made it tot he ground. 

When I nuked it, I used the permethrin. It worked nicely because the nuc acted like bait and I had many adult beetles flying in and getting in the poison. 

For the strong hive, I have been opening it daily and squishing as many beetles as possible. I don't disturb the frames but I lift the brood box (single deep) from the bottom board and get to work. I saw my first "beetle jail" today. It was impressive, probably 10 beetles corralled into an indention in the wood and 5 or 6 bees guarding the entrance. This hive seems to have a much stronger reaction to the beetles presence, they chase them down, catch them, and ball up around them. I don't think it really does much but it keeps the beetles on the run.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I think I'm going to be sick...


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## Ted n Ms (Apr 25, 2008)

This pretty much typical of what hive beatles can do . Dont think how ever that a stong hive is a guarantee that you will be safe. This would be a big mistake. I have seen them take over a rip roaring hive over night. It's all most like they decide all to go to one hive. And just overwhelm them.


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## WVMJ (Apr 2, 2012)

That was why I was asking how did CBF know he wasnt transferring eggs over? Is there a way to tell? WVMJ


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## Ted n Ms (Apr 25, 2008)

WVMJ said:


> That was why I was asking how did CBF know he wasnt transferring eggs over? Is there a way to tell? WVMJ


Yes , You can look over all the frames with a microscope.


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## WVMJ (Apr 2, 2012)

HOw do you keep the honey from messing up your microscope? I dont have a long enough extension cord anyway! WVMJ


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## Honey man (Apr 11, 2013)

Hello all I had almost identical thing happen to one of my nucs, when i found the shb overrun nuc i shook out the few remaining bees and froze the nuc box and all frames for 72 hours ( in a large plastic garbage bag ) 
must have been a thousand or more of the nasty little things 
I placed the nuc outside afterward about 100 yds from bee yard and bees are doing something in it now (cleaning ?)

Naomi1431 please post your results with the nematods when you have them


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## casinoken (May 6, 2012)

cbf, Starkville, MS here, and I am having the same thing with my hives. Earlier in the year I discovered one of my queens was laying spotty brood. Took me a week to get a queen. Replaced the old queen and felt good about the situation. The next inspection, found the shb larvae. Did what I could cleaning up the frames affected. The next week discovered that the hive had absconded, guess they felt they couldn't overcome the vermin. Today I discovered that I have a queenless hive, probably swarmed, and infested with shb larvae. It had 2 deeps and a medium on it. Thankfully the vermin were not in the super. I pulled the super and one deep that was horrible. The hive has a large population and I am hoping that squeezing them down into a single deep will help them corral the shb until I can get a new queen.


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## GSF (Jul 21, 2013)

This is advice from a very new beek so take with a grain of salt.

Is your hives in the shade? I've "read" that most folks have good luck with direct sunlight, even here in Alabama. I moved mine to the direct sunlight and the number of shb went down pretty quick. 

..,now you got me wanting to open my hive again and look. Sorry for your loss.


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## max2 (Dec 24, 2009)

"I hope we never get SHB in our country "

You will. They have moved to cooler parts of Australia.


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