Easily accessible honey comb and SHB

[duryeafarms]

I went into my top bar hive to fix a comb issue with oversized honey sections in brood comb.  The plan was to cut out the swollen honey stores and put it in the back of the hive for them to do as they see fit.  Then I saw small hive beetles.  None too thrilled that I haven't been spared their wonders, it made me reconsider my plan. Would putting a nice pregnant chunk of honey comb on the floor of the hive just be fanning the SHB flames?  I have no doubt that they can get into the comb on the bars, but putting it on the floor seemed to be making it a little too easy. 

 

[Joe D]

I have an oil tray under my TBH, bottom has #8 hardware cloth.  I also have a couple of dvd traps laying on the wire.  If the number of bees are good, and if there's only 2 shb's you will probably be fine for the present.  You can decide what is best for you.  Good luck.      My TBH swarmed about 6 weeks ago, no queen cell, the hive got low in numbers, there was a frame fartherest from the entrance got a few lavra in it.  I took several of the frames out and froze them until the bees had built their number back up.  Oh, I have frames for my TBH, little over 19" at top, 11" deep, and little over 7" across the bottom.  Put those frames back in today.


Joe

[duryeafarms]

Unfortunately, I have a solid bottom so my SHB elimination techniques will be limited to whatever that configuration allows.  There were definitely more than 2 beetles...I saw (without going through the whole hive) about a dozen.  They like to hide up where the bar meets the hive body.  Too bad the bees can't sting them or it wouldn't be a problem.  When I moved the bar and the beetles started scurrying around, the bees were all over them.

How did your hive recover if there wasn't a queen and only a few larvae?