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Author Topic: Small Hive Beetle control during winter.  (Read 2487 times)

Offline BeeMaster2

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Small Hive Beetle control during winter.
« on: November 03, 2018, 02:48:07 pm »
Moved from Varroa treatment per Ben Framed?s request.
Quote from: sawdstmakr on Today at 09:59:25 am
Phillip,
Since the SHBs lay mainly outside of the brood area, during the winter, it is not warm enough for their eggs to hatch. I do not have any problems with SHBs in my observation hive during winter even when there are only a few hundred bees in the hive.
Jim

Thanks Jim, your answer is what I have found to be the general idea on everything I have read and seen. The advise given by Live Oak suggested that I not feed pollen patties during the late fall and winter months. He and I being in the same general area, suggested leaving open feeding available through this time, which sounds like sound advise to me but at the same time left me wondering could there (possibly) be a problem if I was persistent in going ahead and feeding the patties anyway, {during this cool time which is to cool for the beetles to reproduce outside of the brood area}, which I'm not, now planning to do. The question is strictly for educational purposes.  And the answer "I would not put any food patties with more than 5% protein inside the hive during Fall/Winter as these can become SHB magnets" left me wondering. So, for the educational purpose, the conclusion. It wouldn't hurt to leave the patties inside during the winter months as far as the beetles sliming the hive because it to cool in area as far sliming goes. Ive got it.... thanks to you both.  But this does lead to another question. Even though the SHB don't breed during this time as mentioned, can and does the SHB actually migrate during these cold times? Fly as the bees do on warmer days in my area? Other wise how could the (good protein packed pattie), be a magnet during these winter months? We have already have concluded that the beetles already inside the hive will not be a problem but we wouldn't want to magnetize our hives and have our hives packed with an excessive amount of beetles which we have drawn to our hives during the winter months with pollen patties? I realize this is not related to this topic and I was not trying to hijack this topic. I added this question as a side question as I had alleady ask Live Oak this in the topic (Feeding pollen patties in late season) He didn't answer me there since he had began talking again here I thought I would ask him again. Maybe Jim, you would like to move this to its proper place . Feeding pollen patties in late season. Thanks, Jim for your reply and thanks to you Mr Live Oak for helping especially being your from my general area.
Soncerely, Phillip Hall "Ben Framed"
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline cao

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Re: Small Hive Beetle control during winter.
« Reply #1 on: November 04, 2018, 12:21:06 pm »
We have already have concluded that the beetles already inside the hive will not be a problem
I would not jump to that conclusion.  I think that they can be a problem for wintering bees.  They may not breed and slim the hive during the cold weather but, if there are enough of them in the hive, they can disrupt the clustering of the bees.  I had a couple of nucs(5 frame mediums,three high) that died last winter.  When I took them apart, I found a baseball to softball sized area in the middle of the cluster that was full of SHB's.  There was several beetles in each cell of the comb.  I couldn't find any reason that they died.  They had plenty of honey and a good size cluster of bees.  I assume that the bees could not keep the cluster warm enough with that space in the middle of the cluster full of beetles.  The only upside to the loss of bees was that it also killed the beetles. 


Offline Acebird

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Re: Small Hive Beetle control during winter.
« Reply #2 on: December 11, 2018, 07:56:28 am »
I had a couple of nucs(5 frame mediums,three high) that died last winter.  When I took them apart, I found a baseball to softball sized area in the middle of the cluster that was full of SHB's.

I am not an expert on SHB's but I would say that is a pretty heavy infestation of beetles going into winter for a nuc.
Brian Cardinal
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