Seeking Small Hive Beetles help

[Kathy]

We installed two Nucs on Wednesday. One of these hives seems strong and active while the other is not as much.

Yesterday while watching the bees we saw several black bugs entering one of the two hives, We captured two of the bugs and positively identified them as Hive Beetles. We have only seen them entering the stronger of the two hives but figure they are in both.

We ordered Beetle Blasters from Kelley Bees last night but we are hoping someone has extra Beetle Blasters on hand that we could purchase now, or replace with new, so we can get a jump start on, hopefully, saving our hives.

We are brand new beekeepers so we are open to any suggestions.

Thanks, Kathy

[JohnT]

A few hive beetles is very common in hives here in the Midwest. The bees hate them and chase them up onto the inner cover, or into dark crevices. There is one certain remedy to small hive beetles ... STRONG hives! As long as your hives are strong, the bees will take care of the beetles. It's only when your colonies become weak that the beetles can take control and turn a hive into a train wreck.

If you only have a handfull of beetles in your hive, the gadgets and traps you see in the catalogs may be overkill and your time may be better spent keeping your colonies strong and vibrant.

Another great device for hive beetles is your hive tool. You would be surprised how flat you can squish a hive beetle with a hive tool! Always keep in handy.

[Kathy]

Both of my hives are less than a week old....one is strong the other is not. Tonight I watched as the bees successfully fought off many of the beetles but not all of them. I only see the beetles in the evening and the bees seem to be fighting one beetle after another.....this is a guess but maybe 1 beetle every 2 minutes arrives at the hive. Is this a lot of beetles or am I over reacting?

[BkpScott]

Not to diminish your situation, but I dont feel like SHB have been a huge threat so far. They can be a bit unerving, especially when we have heard horror stories of honey running from hives, bees, absconding, bees in panic, slimed comb, etc. but in many cases they can be easily controlled by a few simple things. First, as John said, strong, healthy colonies are not at risk. Bees keep them at bay, and are just more of a nuisence. Also, put your hives in the sun. Colonies in the sun do better than colonies in the shade anyway. SHB are more likely found in colonies that are shaded for a large portion of the day. Ground drenches have been found to be useless, most "chemical" alternatives aren't effective, and most "gadgets" take up space. SHB are only a problem in weak colonies, and I personally believe in the theory that only the strong survive, and if weaker colonies are sacrificed, then there was a reason they were destined to fail. I know it may sound harsh, but I feel the answer to overcoming things like varroa, SHB, and other pests and diseases lies with the bees. Hygeinic bees are bees that have learned to survive