Small Hive Beetle SHB

[danalion]

I am finding a lot of what look and act like small hive beetles in my hive. I just got the package on May 3 to replace winter losses. I have never seen SHB before and I thought they were not in Colorado. Could they have come in with the package bees? What are other people seeing? Any SHB traps that people have found that work?

[Backyard Bees]

Hi, Danalion.

Would you post a picture of what you're seeing?

[danalion]

I find about 10 at a time on the screened bottom board insert. They are good fliers so I drown them in water. They have clubbed antennae but these retract after they die and can't be seen. There have been about 100 in the last day.

Dana

[Backyard Bees]

Thanks for the images. Yes, it's possible for SHB to come in via package bees. I've alerted beekeepers on BCBA's email list to this thread & hopefully someone with SHB experience will chime in.

[amstec]

Hi Danalion,

Hard to tell from your photo, but they do not appear to be SHB. You can see photos of SHB and their larvae here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_hive_beetle

Your photo looks like they are longer. Are you able to get a closer photos of them?

[amstec]

Reading your post again, where you say they do have clubbed antennae, I suggest you take a deeper look inside the hive to see if you can find any larvae. There are a lot of good photos on Google if you search for small hive beetle and then click on Images.

[danalion]

Thank you for your help. I have looked at hundreds of photos via google and am concerned by the clubbed antenna. I am going to search the entire hive tomorrow when I have help lifting. My searches also indicate that SHB can be carried in new packages which should make sense as that is what this hive started from early May. If not SHB what else would they be as they seem to be a pest. I can't find any references to any other type of small beetles infesting bee hives. Has any one else had this problem? I can't get a better photo without a microscope. If they persist I may consider sending them to CSU for ID if that is not too expensive. I will also make a SHB trap along the lines of one I have seen on YouTube.

Thanks, Dana

[Backyard Bees]

Dana,

Would you share with us where (what country/state) your package came from?

Laura

[MLFrantzen]

I, too have been concerned about small hive beetle. We caught a swarm last spring and these critters have shown up this spring.

[MLFrantzen]

I have zoomed in closer so you can see the clubbed antenna.