The key to using Fipronil is to use a system which the bees cannot get to, but the SHB can. That's why you use the Beetle Barns or the corrugated plastic signboard traps. Fipronil is approved for use in food prep areas so I take that to mean there is no harmful fumes or residue that the bees can be harmed by. In Central FL we use traps or quit the beekeeping business; there is no alternative. We have one day hives and two day hives; meaning the time it takes for beetles to get in the hives in significant numbers. Some yards are worse than others but we have a MAJOR, MAJOR problem with SHB everywhere. Unprotected, our hives will be inundated with SHB larva in 1-2 weeks, yearround. For those who haven't experienced this pest, that means loss of the hive, as the bees abscond when the larva have taken over a couple frames. The Fipronil works extremely well, very few beetles make it back out of the trap; in fact, the signboard traps seem to retain the beetles even better than the Beetle Barns. I hate any kind of chemicals in my hives, but I also really like having bees to work with, so it's not an option to fail to protect them.