Small Hive beetles are not limited in the northern most ranges like some pest.   They actually winter in with the cluster. Any hive capable of overwintering bees,  can easily overwinter beetles.

While I can not yet quantify it,  lots of observation shows that in my area at least the bees get a lot less defensive in the fall and winter,  and are almost passively allowing the beetles in the cluster.  Beetles also seem to congregate tighter in a couple of cells during the winter cluster.

Quick looks in winter will show this,  as well as frozen dead outs.



To stop or slow Small hive beetles progression the best medicines is this,  No nuc/ frame movements.   Beetles hid easily in a hive.  
Packages are your best bet to move bees.   For packages the bees either need to be shaken into a bulk box with a large enough bar spacing to allow the beetles to escape,  Or cages that allow the beetles to escape.
Such as  www.bee-bus.com,   Yes I own it,  and SHB was a major consideration in designing it.

Just getting packages from "SHB free" areas is not enough. Being sure there are no beetles is about impossible.  Mann lake is pushing this theory with Packages from CA,  but since the packages in CA have been elsewhere for much of the year,  there will be some with beetles.  BUT since they use a bulk cage system,  the incidence should be avoided.


Charles

             ***********************************************
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