Hello Friends,
I am not at all surprised to hear that the beetle is all up and down the
Eastern Seaboard.  I live in central Florida and received my infestation of
beetles last year from a commercial New York beekeeper who winters his hives
in our area. People are spreading these things around.  I know of a Florida
beekeeper who has California almond pollination contracts.  He works his
bees all across the country.  I expect we will get Africanized bees here
soon, as a result of a return trip in the near future.  I am absolutely sure
that California will be complaining soon.   We are all going to be learning
a lot in the near future.

<<Joseph wrote: I wonder if the adults would
be able to insinuate themselves into the winter cluster of bees and remain
warm enough to survive the winter, or if the bees would be able to move
them from the cluster and let them freeze.  I have found no evidence of
SHB in my colony but I'm afraid it's just a matter of time for me, as
well.>>

I have observed these little demons for hours.  They are small enough to run
down into an empty cell and turn around.  Their shape is such that the bees
can't grab them.  The beetles congregate in the spaces on top of frames
either in the front or back of the hives and in spaces between the frames.
The larvae will do the same.  Sometimes you can see hundreds of adults in a
pile on top of the frames. They boil out when you pop the cover on them.
They fly readily and you will bring them in on your clothing at times.  The
bees seem powerless to remove the adults.  The adult beetles move about the
frames at will with the bees harassing them.  I have never seen a bee get a
hold of a beetle. I would assume, at this point, that the beetles will
survive just fine in the hives, through the winter.

The adults are no problem, compared to the larvae. I believe the adults are
carnivorous.  I have seen them grabbing their own larvae.  The larval cycle
is what tears up your combs.  They love to eat their way through the capped
cells of brood, pollen, and honey.  If they get ahead of the bees' ability
to clean up the mess, the hive can be lost in a matter of a week or two.
The brood putrefies, the honey ferments and runs out the entrance or through
the bottom, and the bees may abscond, leaving supers full of honey.  It is a
real stinking mess.  I've had it happen in my yard. The commercial guys tell
me they are not much of a problem, because they are moving their hives all
the time.  The beetles are not able to build up enough to cause real
problems. The commercial guys leave the area and the young beetles lose the
host hives because they are pupating in the ground when they leave.  Perhaps
the beetles will die without the host hives, I dunno yet.  The larval
beetles will pupate in any debris, not just the soil.  I have seen them
pupate on top of a debris covered concrete block, under the hive.  I am
learning to use my new digital camera now.  I will try to take a few
pictures soon and post them, so you can get an idea of what you are going to
be dealing with.  These things are here now and we will just have to deal
with it.

Bob Bassett - Just dealing with it, best I can.