After the news about the SHB in Florida hit the net I have been very careful about
doing anything that would bring this new pest into my home yard. Being in an area
where there are not many beekeepers I was hopping that this pest would not find me
for a few years.

Today when checking a hive that had swarmed I found three adults running around.
Other hives showed one or two adults. Having just pulled supers from these hives
last week I am pretty sure I have a good picture of the infestation.

Since I am pretty isolated from other beekeepers (Varroa took out most of them
and the last one I knew of in the area retired a few years ago) my bet is the
beetle arrived from a non-beekeeping vector. The only contact this yard has had
with the outside world in the last two years has been the state bee inspector and
myself. I have yet to find a SHB in my remote yards so I doubt I carried them in.
While it is possible the state inspector carried some in, I would doubt the
likelyhood of them being a transport.

This looks like a pest that is going to spread no matter what we do. I am making
adjustments to deal with the new pest in town. Any thoughts are welcome.


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