Interesting thread, since I don't have to deal with SHB to any extent, but
have seen slime outs in other operations.

Re the production of slime, it is my understanding that it is produced by
the symbiotic yeast (Kodamaea) carried by the beetles--not by the beetles
or larvae themselves.  So Charlie's observation of an overnight slime out
likely occurred due to the ability of the *yeast* to propagate far more
rapidly than could the beetles.

I've been in correspondence with a well-known SHB expert.  He has also
observed similar events to what Charlie is observing.  He's watched SHB
move down a row of hives and take them down one by one.  He's also
frustrated by the seeming randomness of which colonies get taken down--as
Charlie says, that makes controlled trials more difficult.

BTW Charlie, there is no need to diss the "experts"--they often know much
more than you may assume.

Re Charlie's question about hard soils--when SHB invaded the Big Island of
Hawaii, I saw it hammer apiaries set on hard, black lava, with only a
smidgen of any sort of soil in the cracks.  But there was an abundant (at
that time) feral bee population, as well as fruit laying all over the
ground--either could act as a reservoir of beetles.

Your observations of sudden SHB infusion at this time of year remind me of
research by Nick Annand that I seldom see cited.  You can download his
thesis at
http://researchdirect.uws.edu.au/islandora/object/uws%3A11253/datastream/PDF/download/citation.pdf

Take a look at his Figs. 5.3-5.5 (starting on page 112).  The latter two
figs are color coded by season, which makes it easier for us in the
Northern Hemisphere.  The figures show how the beetles move outside of the
hive during the summer, and then flood back in in fall.

Charlie, before he passed, Dr. Peter Teal had found that pear extract was
extremely attractive to SHB (for trapping flying adults), as well as
ultraviolet LEDs (for night trapping).  You may wish to experiment.


-- 
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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