Small hive beetles can be a major problem in the areas that you mentioned however they can be a problem anywhere in the state if the right conditions are met for beetle reproduction. You need a good understanding of beetle control and then you can still have major beetle problems at times. I'd suggest that you locate some beekeepers in that area to discover if beetles are a present issue for them.
If you move into an area where there are lots of beetles then your colonies will become quickly invaded. Trapping is one of the best ways that I know to keep the beetle population down. There are several traps on the market and you will have to decide which ones to use. Some are hive bottom traps such as the West beetle trap and the Freeman Trap. There are other traps that have been developed such as the Hood Trap that I developed here at Clemson University. My trap is made to be fastened to a hive frame and can be placed in the top or bottom of a hive. There are other beetle traps that are available in the bee supply catalogs.
There are other small hive beetle control recommendations such as keeping your colonies in full sun so that the soil will hopefully not stay wet which is one requirement that beetles have for good reproduction. However, this are gets lots of rain so you will need to be careful with this issue.
There are a couple of pesticides labelled in SC for SHB control.
You can check out a leaflet on small hive beetles on our dept website. Go to <bugs.clemson.edu> and click on information fact sheets. Click on apiculture. I am also writing an article for Bee Culture on SHB integrated pest management. It should be in the January or February issue.
No comments:
Post a Comment