Nematodes for SHB

[yes2matt]

Only hives I ever saw that didn't have SHB running around was in a place where the dude used Roundup to keep the weeds down under his hive stands.

How large of a bare dirt area around the hives does it take?

No, not going to use Roundup! Rubber 'friction' mats used in shipping are great for keeping grass and weeds off the bottom strand of electric fences. Think I now have enough to spare some for other uses.

First off, I don't know. Right way to answer the question is to find some research on scholar.google.

But I can say that the bare patches under the dude's hives in question were only a little bit bigger than the footprint of the hives themselves.   He did the same under all his dormant tractors/implements/equipment.

At the apiary that I treated with nematodes, I had already some heavy duty black plastic sheeting rolled out under the hive stand/benches (two twelve-foot benches) to keep the tall grass and sweetgum seedlings from setting in.  About the same footprint as we're talking about. And it fixed the weed problem but not the SHB problem.

I've heard of people using rock salt (?) and diatomaceous earth; I don't want to kill the plants there and we get rain way too often for DE to work for the beekeeper.

[The15thMember]

Only hives I ever saw that didn't have SHB running around was in a place where the dude used Roundup to keep the weeds down under his hive stands.

How large of a bare dirt area around the hives does it take?

No, not going to use Roundup! Rubber 'friction' mats used in shipping are great for keeping grass and weeds off the bottom strand of electric fences. Think I now have enough to spare some for other uses.

First off, I don't know. Right way to answer the question is to find some research on scholar.google.

Are you guys wondering how far the larvae will travel to pupate?  Because I found the answer on Honey Bee Suite.

But worry not. Wandering larvae are resilient and strong. If soil conditions under the hive are not perfect, the larvae will take off in search of something better. Such vagabonds have been known to travel 220 yards (200 m) in search of better soil. Their primary concern is soil moisture, especially summer moisture. Relentless in their pursuit of ideal conditions, larvae have been known to wander for up to 48 days and still manage to pupate successfully.

Here's the full article.  https://www.honeybeesuite.com/slippery-life-small-hive-beetle/#:~:text=Small%20hive%20beetles%20lead%20a,bee%20worker%20into%20feeding%20it.

[William Bagwell]

Are you guys wondering how far the larvae will travel to pupate?  Because I found the answer on Honey Bee Suite.

May have had optimism induced amnesia since I have seen similar reports of larva crawling long distances when faced with a physical barrier.

Wonder if something else might be a factor? Bare dirt is attractive and convenient, perhaps fewer survive with no vegetation.

[Ben Framed]

Re: Ben Framed
<< July 24, 2020 >>

Dr Jamie Ellis., jokingly said, "you would need a slab the size of London to keep them from reaching soil". I have went back and found the informational video. Well worth watching 'and keeping'.



https://youtu.be/vUkFcgf4f6Q

[yes2matt]

UPDATE:  at least in the short term, I can't tell that I made any kind of dent in the SHB load of this yard.  They have lots.  All nine colonies are strong, and are managing them with beetle jails, some along the top edges of the frames built up to the cover, some with igloo/dormitories on the solid bottom boards. The best colony (which I should put in quotes "best" because they build like mad, pack honey like mad, and start defending their nest at 10 feet) has a crew of forty-ish bees running a corral of SHB *outside* the rear entrance which they chewed through the insulation board cover.

So, just so I can say I gave it a college try, I might drop another $35 on a treatment in spring.  BUT, I think that's just beeing silly.

There was an interview I heard with Morgan Roth (new PhD at Va Tech I think) who has done a ton of research on SHB. Her conclusions are that since SHB: can smell a honey bee colony, especially tuned into stress/alarm pheromone, from miles (3? iirc) away; can fly for miles to get there; enter the hive in adult stage; do most of their damage as adults, it makes most sense to control/limit the adult population.  She placed emphasis on trapping the adults in the hive.  As I said, I have not been super successful with that. 

She didn't say, but I'm starting to think that keeping them out, with an entrance mod would be potentially effective.  I've read about the "guardian" and I have one that is still in my tool box. Where, it is 0% effective guaranteed :)   

Iddee/Wally taught me how to make quick-n-dirty robber screens with #8 mesh. I have this faint idea that if I used that fine aluminum window screen instead of #8, and installed a "robber screen" on all the hives all the time, I might keep them out, or at least most of them.

[Bill Murray]

I use the swiffer sheets all the time. In my opinion other than the scott food service towles. which became to expensive, they are the best thing Ive found for shb. All the different brands are not created equal. the quilted ones do not work. the bees just propolize them. any of the scented ones they just pull out of the hive.
I pulled these yesterday.