The first thirty years of my working life were spent as a problem solving, electrical engineer. And I moved to bees late in life. We have some things in common.


As long as we are speculating on correlation vs causation....and that is what we are doing...speculating, I have wondered about genetics that might drive a more aggressive defense against nest invaders, such as small hive beetles.
Charles, is your queen source someone/somewhere that small hive beetles are a serious problem? As the beetle issue became less and less in my yards, I wondered how much might be attributed to more effective bee-beetle management.


Also, on the topic of fipronil.....and its success against shb.


Approved for use against small hive beetles in Australia. 
https://www.apithor.com.au/how_apithor_works.html
'Results of efficacy trials conducted under an APVMA permit indicated that deployment of a single harbourage deployed on the bottom board of infested hives achieved a 100% reduction in the number of live adult beetles within six weeks. '


100% sounds like a good number to my layman's ear.
This supports the sort of results I observed in south GA using beetle barns (similar to cd cases, I believe) and fipronil roach baits.
I am not advocating this but, if my business were at risk I'd consider it, post harvest along with my mite treatments. 

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