Hello All,
Tom wrote;
> It appears that the SHB has appeared in Australia in two widely separated
locations (Sydney and near Brisbane).

Never ceases to amaze me the spread of these beekeeping problems. In my
opinion SHB has been introduced.

> I know that some American beekeepers  have had to put up with this >latest
pest for about four years and that  Coumaphos seems to give >adequate
control

Coumaphos never was the answer for SHb. Beekeepers needing a replacement for
Apistan used SHb Coumaphos usage to get the section 18. Coumaphos will help
control those SHb which do live in the hive with the bees and some SHb do.
.

> Has a non chemical based IPM approach been worked out against the beetle?

One has to understand the ways of the small hive beetle. All methods talked
about in this discussion are useless *once* the shb is established in your
area. The methods suggested can help slow the establishment  of the SHb when
it first arrives in a area for maybe the first season.

Although SHb can be found in most hives in a area infested by the SHB the
real damage comes when the hive (for whatever reason)  cannot defend itself
and thousands of *adult* SHb invade the hive and lay eggs.

 Up to 8,000 adults have been counted in a single hive in Florida. The eggs
hatch and the SHB larva destroy all frames. Plastc sheeting ,ground drench
are all methods  after the damage has been done but will slow the
infestation at first.   For the most part SHB *does not* live in the hive
but attacks the weak hive as the wax moth does .


> I seem to remember reading somewhere that you can seriously disrupt the
breeding cycle of the beetle by surrounding your hives with plastic or
> polythene sheeting to prevent the beetle burrowing into the ground to
> contine its reproduction.

My friends in Florida report that although SHb can be found in almost all
hives the large numbers which actually lay the eggs which hatch quickly and
slime the hive (which can take place between ten day inspections) come from
the woods   around the  hives rather than a small infestation which slowly
grows larger.

Although the adult laying eggs is the problem with both the wax moth and SHB
. Usually only a small number of adult wax moths lay a huge number of eggs.
With SHB a huge number of adults lay a huge number of eggs.

Strong hives and reduced entrances are two important methods of control.

Drought for some unknown reason reduces populations of SHb. Possibly the SHb
will never be a serious problem in areas of the southwest.

I see pheromone traps which disrupt the male SHb (or trap males) as an
important control but no current research in that area is going on to my
knowledge.

Sincerely,
Bob Harrison