Hello frm South Carolina

[cajgass]

Hi everyone,
I am a Beekeeper from Easley South Carolina and I'm a member of The Pickens County Beekeepers Association. I only have 1 hive. I'm having a problem with the small hive bettle. I have found the bettle on the inside edge of the brood chambers and also in the comb, and there is alot of them. Because of my inexperince I don't quiet know how to treat the hive against these pests. The head of the Entomology Department at Clemson University, Mike Hood developed a hive bettle trap that Brushy Mountain Bee supply sells. The trap sets on a frame. You position it in ethier the #1 or #10 position in the hive. In the Summer time you put it in the Brood Chamber. In the Winter you put it in the top super. You put apple vinger in it. When the bettle enters the trap he is unable to exit. My question is does anybody know of any other way to kill these pests?
Thank you,
Christian Jones, Easley SC

[Understudy]

Hi everyone,
I am a Beekeeper from Easley South Carolina and I'm a member of The Pickens County Beekeepers Association. I only have 1 hive. I'm having a problem with the small hive bettle. I have found the bettle on the inside edge of the brood chambers and also in the comb, and there is alot of them. Because of my inexperince I don't quiet know how to treat the hive against these pests. The head of the Entomology Department at Clemson University, Mike Hood developed a hive bettle trap that Brushy Mountain Bee supply sells. The trap sets on a frame. You position it in ethier the #1 or #10 position in the hive. In the Summer time you put it in the Brood Chamber. In the Winter you put it in the top super. You put apple vinger in it. When the bettle enters the trap he is unable to exit. My question is does anybody know of any other way to kill these pests?
Thank you,
Christian Jones, Easley SC

First and foremost: Welcome and Merry Xmas!

The small hive beetle (SHB) is a rotten little pest. It's complete eradication is probably not realistic. Control of it's numbers is probably a bit of a better plan.
Steps to control it are as follows:
1. Place your hive on a concrete or brick surface. This helps control the growth cycle.
2. Use a SHB trap at the bottom of the hive
https://www.dadant.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=26_52&products_id=724
You fill with Olive Oil this traps the beetle who cannot swim out of it.
3. Use permacomb or supercell. This is plastic fully drawn frames. The small hive beetle
can't incubate well in these.
4. Take a piece of regular cardboard and rip off one side and place the waffle edge on top of the frames at the top of the hive. The SHBs like to exist in the ridges. Take the cardboard piece off the top of the hive after having been on for a few days and place into a bucket of soapy water or oil and drown them.

A healthy hive is also the best defense against SHB. The bees will keep them down to small numbers if the hive is healthy. Watch for swarms because that is when the SHB can move in and decimate a hive.

Also please realize that having a few SHB isn't an end of the world. 

Enjoy the boards.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

[Kirk-o]

Welcome aboard and good luck with the beetles
kirko

[Ronnie Moore]

Hello from south carolina  I also am from sc I live in Gaston SC First yr bee keeper
Iam a carpenter and like to build my own stuff and was wonderinf if anybody knew if you can build stuff for bees out of cedar I know it is aromatic but was wondering  thanks Ronnie :?