small hive beetle in michigan

[rgy]

does michigan have shb?  taking apart my dead outs today I found one small beetle on a frame.  Only one beetle in four dead hives, so I think it was probably just a bug from the garage that got in the hive.

the dead out had a small cluster of bees that were all moldy so AI tried to scrape that comb of the frame and it was "gooey" and it smelled bad.   could the smell just be the dead bees and mold?

[Dimmsdale]

rgy, was your comb almost black?  On my doomed hive, I noticed that all of the comb was extreamly dark and even the stored honey was extreamly dark brown/black.  Not sure if it was just from being in brood comb or what.  This was a new coloney last year so it was all 1 year old comb.

[BlueBee]

Is your soil over there clay or sand  :-D

OK, that was a joke.  Sorry I couldn’t resist.  You’re probably relatively sandy on the west coast. 

To answer your question, I have NOT seen small hive beetles in my hives, but I believe Scadsofbees claimed he had SHB before in Michigan.  I do see an occasional beetle around the hives, but they are just normal Michigan bugs, not the SHB.

Dead moldy bees and fermenting honey gives off a disagreeable smell; that is likely what you smell. 

Old Black (brood) comb will attract the wax moths here in Michigan  :(

[tefer2]

I've only seen one that I killed. Not a problem around here, unless your importing them.
Ditto on the dead bee smell.

[rgy]

NOT a SHB.  looked up a picture, just a bug probably from the garage were I put them until I could take it apart.  comb was dark but not to bad.