Because it's cold, I haven't been opening my hives, but yesterday I could see liquid on the ground under the hive that has a sugar water feeder inside it, so I opened the hive to take out the feeder and see what gives. I have a bottle with holes in the lid upside down on the frames just over the cluster.
When I pulled out the bottle there were five happy as a clam SHBs all over it. I haven't checked the traps in at least a month and now am worried that my hives are full of SHBs but don't want to open the hives to check the apple cider vinegar traps while it's cold.
Should I? :?
I'm thinking next weekend if we have an Atlanta warm spell, I'll pull out the apple cider vinegar traps and refresh the vinegar. These critters are amazingly endurable - and mine certainly are not living in the ground through the winter - they are thriving in my hives.
Linda T in Atlanta