Small Hive Beetle & the SBI

[Stiffy]

SHB need a soil temp of around 21c /70F people seem to think Scotland is a frozen waste land the temperature in our top apiary yesterday afternoon was 22c . Last winter where we are there was only 2 mornings when we had a frost.
When you watch the TV weather forecast and its showing Snow that's mainly in the mountains or highlands.

I don't think anyone would think Scotland is frozen wasteland, certainly not me. The last (and final) time I worked there, in spring it was a beautiful but mozzy ridden place and when I finished in winter, the ground was frozen to a depth of around a foot and I cant imagine SHB surviving that. The climate will no doubt vary a great deal, its a large country but I never realised it had a sub tropical region....you live and learn
S

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[Erichalfbee]

There's quite a lot of useful stuff on the internet.

I found this horrid information

Beetles will seek cracks and crevices in which to escape from the bees, who in turn will imprison the beetles in these cracks, preventing them from escaping. The beetles have developed the ability to stimulate the mouthparts of worker bees with their antennae, similar to drones begging for food, and are able to trick their guards into feeding them. This behaviour allows the beetles to survive in confinement for extended periods. Opening hives for inspections may free the beetles from their confinement.
The adults are strong fliers and can disperse to other beehives easily. Beetles are also thought to travel with honey bee swarms. Individual beetles can live up to 6 months or more, and several overlapping generations of beetles can mature within a colony in a single season. Beetle reproduction ceases during the winter when adult beetles are able to overwinter within the bee cluster.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

You can buy SHB oil traps in the UK.
Just to be on the safe side we ordered a batch yesterday and they sould arrive today

I think they're pretty effective. This is not varroa.

 

[MuswellMetro]

i have heard that UK metal and plastic spacers on non hoffman frames like the straight sided SN1 or DN1 create hiding places for SHB so Hoffmans frames will be recommended

Think i might order new manley's and SN5 in the winter sale to replace the few of my frames of SN1 and SN2 type that require spacers

 

[itma]

i have heard that UK metal and plastic spacers on non hoffman frames like the straight sided SN1 or DN1 create hiding places for SHB so Hoffmans frames will be recommended

Think i might order new manley's and SN5 in the winter sale to replace the few of my frames of SN1 and SN2 type that require spacers

Those hollow spacers are nasty, and yes would create a hidey-hole for the beetle.
But your SN1's can easily go on castellations in supers.
And end-spacers really shouldn't be in the brood box. So, yes, another reason for having hoffman-only brood boxes …

 

[wessexmario]

If anyone knows who manufactures those spacers, then tell them there will be a demand or preference for spacers without a hollow.

Would be an easy fix (agree fiddly and time consuming) to fill the spacer holes with old propolis, that could be done from now in slow time as a precautionary measure before it's inevitably needed.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Some good stuff here http://www.clemson.edu/extension/beekeepers/publications/small_hive_bettle_ipm.html

 

[thebeeman]

I think they're pretty effective. This is not varroa.

Not sure what you mean by "This is not varroa"

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Not sure what you mean by "This is not varroa"

Because they're small hive beetles?

 

[itma]

Because they're small hive beetles?

Aha! Another reason for going 14x12?




/ time for some gallows humour, surely?

 

[Michael Palmer]

The adults are strong fliers and can disperse to other beehives easily. Beetles are also thought to travel with honey bee swarms. Individual beetles can live up to 6 months or more, and several overlapping generations of beetles can mature within a colony in a single season. Beetle reproduction ceases during the winter when adult beetles are able to overwinter within the bee cluster.

Beetles don't winter well here, where we have a cold winter. I have seen over-wintered beetles rise from the cluster in the early spring, but they soon disappear. I wonder if their ability to reproduce diminishes with time, so by spring they are just too old.

I find I can tell when someone has moved bees from the southern States to near one of my apiaries because beetles show up. They are gone by the following spring unless the beekeeper buys in additional southern nucs or package bees.

I expect southern Italy, with a Mediterranean climate, will be over run with them, and the queen rearing industry will find their mating nucs will suffer significant losses.

 

[itma]

Beetles don't winter well here, where we have a cold winter. …

Michael, I suspect that your winters are more like those in Finland than the UK (even Scotland), but I've not got any detail on your local climate.
For your winter apiary sites, what is the lowest temperature you'd expect in a typical (non-exceptional) winter?
How many days with snow on the ground or temperatures below freezing (32F) ?

It'd be helpful to know just how cold it might need to be for the beetles to suffer.

 

[Michael Palmer]

but I've not got any detail on your local climate.
For your winter apiary sites, what is the lowest temperature you'd expect in a typical (non-exceptional) winter?
How many days with snow on the ground or temperatures below freezing (32F) ?

And I don't really know the same about your climate...so I'm guessing a bit on the influence of SHB in your area.

We can have our first snow by early November, but not always. It usually melts away if we have an early storm. By the end of November we're below 32˚F, with an occasional period above freezing. Our real snow comes in December, and remains on the ground until early April, unless we have an early spring. Our ground is frozen here from December until April...water lines are placed 4' below the surface to prevent rupturing by freezing. We usually have winter temperatures that will reach -0˚F for a period of time with lows of -10˚F to -20˚F some nights.

Still, your temperatures aren't anywhere nearly as high as places like our southeast states like the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida...where SHB can slime a colony very quickly.

Obviously much colder than the UK. Even though, I wonder just how much of a problem SHB will be for you. Keep your colonies strong. Be careful with small mating nucs...keep them well populated. Never harvest your honey and leave it in a hot room for an extended period of time. My buddy in the state of Georgia has 3 days to extract hot room honey before the beetles ruin it.

SHB's aren't varroa mites.

 

[The Drone Ranger]

If anyone saw Penguins on a Plane on the BBC you will have seen a commercial. Beek drive to Italy an personally collect about 300 packages of bees all destined for England where the load was split and another beek took delivery of his share.
At the time no-one had any idea there was a beetle problem though

 

[itma]

And I don't really know the same about your climate...so I'm guessing a bit on the influence of SHB in your area.

We can have our first snow by early November, but not always. It usually melts away if we have an early storm. By the end of November we're below 32˚F, with an occasional period above freezing. Our real snow comes in December, and remains on the ground until early April, unless we have an early spring. Our ground is frozen here from December until April...water lines are placed 4' below the surface to prevent rupturing by freezing. We usually have winter temperatures that will reach -0˚F for a period of time with lows of -10˚F to -20˚F some nights.

Still, your temperatures aren't anywhere nearly as high as places like our southeast states like the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida...where SHB can slime a colony very quickly.

Obviously much colder than the UK. …

Michael, the UK's all-time lowest EVER recorded temperature is -17F (at Braemar, Scotland) - which you expect to encounter "some nights".

Where I am, in the SouthEast of England, last winter we only had a couple of nights below 32F (0C), and no snow to speak of. Daily maxima are commonly around 10C (+50F) but frequently 'only' around +40F.

We still remember the truly exceptional winter of 1962/3 when we had snow on the ground continuously for a couple of months. And that was said to have been the coldest winter since 1740 …


Sadly, our winters seem unlikely to be an effective SHB control.
But our Finnish friends could be in luck …

 

[The Drone Ranger]

Its actually warmer under snow so you might be better with a long cold wet horrible spell which I can almost bet we will get.
The north facing slope where I have my bees is like the Arctic tundra in Winter blinking eleccy bill is astronomical

 

[itma]

Its actually warmer under snow ...

… than above snow. But still much colder than when there's no snow staying because the temperature is above freezing point!

 

[BeeJayBee]

Michael, the UK's all-time lowest EVER recorded temperature is -17F (at Braemar, Scotland) - which you expect to encounter "some nights".

I'm sorry, that's not true. I've recorded -19C and colder several times, although not here in the South.

Met Office has this list, the records date from 1961 onwards :-

Date Station Area Temperature
1 10 January 1982 Braemar East Scotland -27.2 °C
1 30 December 1995 Altnaharra No 2 North Scotland -27.2 °C
3 13 December 1981 Shawbury Midlands -25.2 °C
4 13 January 1979 Carnwath West Scotland -24.6 °C
5 20 January 1984 Grantown-On-Spey East Scotland -23.6 °C
6 27 January 1985 Lagganlia North Scotland -23.4 °C
7 13 January 1987 Caldecott P Sta Midlands -23.3 °C
8 08 January 2010 Altnaharra No 2 North Scotland -22.3 °C
9 18 February 1960 Grantown-On-Spey East Scotland -22.2 °C
9 30 December 1961 Cannich North Scotland -22.2 °C
9 18 January 1963 Braemar East Scotland -22.2 °C​

 

[itma]

I'm sorry, that's not true. I've recorded -19C and colder several times, although not here in the South.

Met Office has this list, the records date from 1961 onwards :-

Date Station Area Temperature
1 10 January 1982 Braemar East Scotland -27.2 °C
1 30 December 1995 Altnaharra No 2 North Scotland -27.2 °C
3 13 December 1981 Shawbury Midlands -25.2 °C
4 13 January 1979 Carnwath West Scotland -24.6 °C
5 20 January 1984 Grantown-On-Spey East Scotland -23.6 °C
6 27 January 1985 Lagganlia North Scotland -23.4 °C
7 13 January 1987 Caldecott P Sta Midlands -23.3 °C
8 08 January 2010 Altnaharra No 2 North Scotland -22.3 °C
9 18 February 1960 Grantown-On-Spey East Scotland -22.2 °C
9 30 December 1961 Cannich North Scotland -22.2 °C
9 18 January 1963 Braemar East Scotland -22.2 °C​

Sorry, but you didn't notice that I had quoted -17F for Micheal's convenience, which converts as -27C as the lowest ever recorded officially in the UK.

Michael's -10 to -20F "some nights" means that -29C is quite usual for him.

What I posted was factually true.
Your 'correction' is mistaken.

 

[Michael Palmer]

Sadly, our winters seem unlikely to be an effective SHB control.

Well, as I've said, I don't know your climate. But, I would bet the temperatures and the soils are not the same as the states of North and South Carolina, and Georgia, and Florida.

I guess time will tell.