My observation is that SHB do not overwinter well here if the temperatures drop below 20 degrees F for 4-5 days.  SHB are a problem in freshly extracted honey supers or pollen frames if left unprotected and not put back on the bees to clean up.  They do best with heat and high humidity, August to October generally in this area.  They can quickly overwhelm weak or queenless hives.  I suspect feral colony losses are possibly a significant source of our much larger SHB population in late summer.  I've seen only a few beetles this year in extracting honey and inspecting hives...most other beekeepers reporting similar story.  I lot of beekeepers run beetle traps, but it is much easier for me to use a hive tool or fingertip for the occasional beetle on the frame or inner cover.  A number of local beekeepers are using nematodes and report reduced SHB problems.

Atlanta, GA

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