Here is one datapoint from NE Ohio (suburbs of Cleveland)

We had no history or reports of SHB in the area until last year when a package 
supplier brought up a badly infested shipment.  Our club purchased a box of the 
BeetleBlaster traps and handed them out so members could help diagnose the 
problem.  Personally, I found that by mid-summer, I had a mild infestation - a 
dozen or so adults in each trap.

Like you, I accepted the conventional wisdom that SHB would not survive a 
northern winter so I did nothing else.  I left two traps per colony in place 
because, well, what could it hurt?  During the winter, I lost 1 colony but it 
appeared to be a combination of varroa pressure and a difficult winter.  (The 
two survivors had more Russian genetics than the mostly-Italian casualty.)

In springtime, I opened the hives up to discover many adult SHBs openly crawling 
around the survivor hives and in and out of empty cells.  I was dismayed to see 
very few in the traps even though they had remained in the hive all winter - 
until I realized that the particular spacing of my hivetop feeder probably was 
such that neither the bees nor the SHB could get to the entrance of the traps.  
(The frames are close to top-flush and the feeder is flat-bottomed except where 
the bees move up to get the feed.  Not an issue normally but it effectively 
closed the trap against the bottom of the feeder.)

Note:  SHB did not appear to attack the deadout.  I found no evidence of damage 
even 2 months later except a single wax moth track on one frame.  My hypothesis 
is that without the bees to sustain an internal temperature, the SHB could not 
survive at ambient.

My neighbor to the west also discovered SHB when she opened her hive in spring.  
Others in our local club have, for the most part, not reported seeing SHB this 
spring.  Interestingly, both I and my neighbor use the polystyrene hives.  I'm 
not sure if they moderate the temperature differently, offer more 
hiding/breeding places or if it's just coincidence.

Treatment:  I have since replaced the traps (and removed the feeders which fixed 
the beespace so the traps work again).  I also deployed parasitic nematodes in 
the soil around the beeyard.  It's been about a month since and no SHB noted 
since, either visible in the hive or in the traps.  We're still having a 
tough spring, though (lots of storms) so I haven't had much chance to inspect as 
thoroughly as I'd like.  Nevertheless, I am seeing none of the signs of 
catastrophic infestation such as my sister reports from South Carolina.  


At the risk of a premature diagnosis, it appears that a few mechanical traps are 
sufficient to control any local imports as long as you don't accidentally seal 
off the traps.


I had not heard the recommendation to recage the queen.  Personally, I would not 
attempt that nor would I recommend the practice to our local hobbyists.  It 
would be far too easy to lose or accidentally damage the queen, jeopardizing 
your entire investment in the package.  SHB is the smaller risk.

Mike Rossander

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html

Guidelines for posting to BEE-L can be found at:
http://honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/guidelines.htm