Lots of good advice given. Here are some thoughts might add to or parallel what has been said...
Full sun, as someone has mentioned. And it's always mentioned to have strong hives. :)
Hard packed ground, stoney/rocky area...it has to be a large area as beetle larvae travel over 100' from what I've read (never found one to measure, though, and to be honest I haven't looked ;) ).
Dry arid area is good.
Regarding the points above... I certainly can't get into the mind of a beetle :laugh: , but I wonder if the adult beetles consider by instinct (or whatever) the surrounding environment when infesting a hive. I tend to think that an inhospitable sunny location with dry, hard ground beneath it is less attractive to them than a hive sitting in mostly shade with some nice moist ground close by for the larvae to pupate in. Having said that, I have my hives in full sun but sitting in a hayfield and I do have *some* shb, but so far no great infestation.
Other things on my mind are...
Limit access for the beetles. Use migratory covers. If you use telescoping covers and are not using top entrances then you could screen over the escape/feed holes in the inner cover with something smaller than #8 screen, maybe a coarse window screening...this would get propolised fairly quickly but stay opened for a while. Rather than a full open front entrance maybe choke it down to halfway open...even one-third open.
Bottom board. If you use standard screened bottom boards and don't use oil trays you have an opening the size of your hive boxes for the beetles to enter (also wax moth). With oil trays you have a deadly trap set for them...even if they come in through a gap around the tray there is a good chance they'll fall in the oil. If you're not using oil trays then consider using a smaller mesh screening as mentioned for the inner cover. Or, use solid bottom boards. It seems to me that oil tray traps will work better with bottom entrances than with top entrances...when the beetles enter the bottom entrance they're very close to the oil tray and just need a friendly push from a bee. ;)
Use oil traps inside the hive...that is PLURAL, meaning more than one. ;) I put one up in the top box and always try to have one or two down in the brood area. I personally like the Beetle Jail Jrs, especially the new deeper ones...they fit nicely between the frames, hold an ample amount of oil/lure, and easily refillable/re-useable. I'm learning not to use vegetable oil in them as it goes rancid, can congeal and be *very* messy to clean up. There are other styles that work about the same way but I haven't used them so can't say much about them.
So, if you have the top cover sealed, the bottom board basically sealed, some between-the- frame death pits scattered inside the hive, and the entrance reduced you're in much better shape than you were.
Just some rambling that might be food for thought for somebody.
Ed