On 3/02/2012 2:47 AM, [log in to unmask] wrote:

> I'm amazed that you can have so many adult beetles in a hive that 
> they're feeding on the bee larvae, and yet there are no beetle larvae 
> in the hive! 

I live in SHB paradise.  We see a great variation in the response to the 
beetle.  Strong hives always have beetles present but there is no 
apparent effect.  A hive that becomes a drone layer or a laying worker 
hive will almost overnight have large numbers of larvae in the brood 
nest.  Just where most of these larvae are varies.  The pollen ring may 
be a crawling mass or they may be spread throughout the brood nest.  I 
assume some variation in the genetics of the bees.

At times the bees appear to throw out the larvae and pupae and SHB 
larvae can be seen in this mass outside the entrance, doing very well.  
Sometimes there are large numbers of bee eggs present but they never get 
to develop.  The assumption being that SHB adults or larvae are eating 
either the eggs or newly hatched larvae, or both.

If I catch a hive that still has enough bees and a queen left I place in 
a nuc and give some new brood and foundation.  Even here success is 
doubtful.  Maybe the bees are more susceptible?

Nucs (increase) and mating nucs are now much harder to establish or 
maintain.  Here I think that the brood nest not being of an "ideal" 
shape contributes to the problem.  As does empty comb.  It gives the 
beetles a harbourage.

Some beekeepers maintain that they have lost good strong hives to the 
beetle.  I have not seen that.  I suspect that some beekeepers do not 
realise just how quickly a hive can crash as soon as some problem 
arises.   That and the fact that the beetle lays eggs all the time, 
something like wax moth.  Strong hives remove them or newly hatched 
larvae almost immediately.  The beetles are capable of laying large 
numbers of eggs, that hatch in a day or so.  The result is that there 
are soon zillions of SHB larvae if a hive losses its ability to control 
them.

Because of this speed of breeding of SHB it is unusual for a commercial 
beekeeper to find a hive in trouble and save it.

Away from the coast in the drier areas, whilst adult SHB will be present 
they do not seem to be able to breed as readily.  That said some of the 
local beekeepers from those areas report some problems.

Geoff Manning
from sub tropical N E NSW Aust

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