Here’s a couple pictures from today of my three new frames that I added two weeks ago to my nook. There was a few small Hive beetles on the bottom Cora flutewhen I pulled it out also were a couple larvae. I do have some small hive beetle traps that I purchased that I plan on adding now that I see they’re in there, but my question is where do they physically go when I put them in?
I also have heard people have success with treating the ground around the hive to kill the larvae, can someone tell me what they use around the ground below the hive that have had good success?
And finally I guess my last question is how long should I wait before I add my second brood box by looking at the pictures of what they’ve built over the past two weeks? Thanks for everything, Matt
There is a huge amount of drone brood in your first photo. Hopefully the other frames have plenty of worker brood. 
What type of trap? If they are beetle blasters, I put one between the top bars of 2 frames in the uppermost brood box (assuming you have 2 brood boxes). I don’t put them in honey supers.
I watered in some parasitic nematodes. Doesn’t get rid of the SHB, but it does help to keep the numbers down.
Well I’m not sure about the drones or worker bees but I only remove the three new frames to check to see how they were building they’re comb and to take some pictures so that I could ask when I should add my second Brood box?
Yes the ones that I have are beetle blasters but right now I only have one brood box…(where should I put the beetle blasters with only one brood box currently?)
I’ve heard of others using diatomaceous earth on the ground around the hive?
There is only one place you can put the trap - between the top bars of the frames in your brood box. Doesn’t really matter too much which bars, but I like to put them between frames that have drone brood. Don’t forget to put some mineral oil or similar in the reservoir to drown the beetles.
I don’t like DE because it can kill bees too. Others use it, but I don’t. 
Between top bars?
Like in-between the frames?
I don’t know that that’s possible because it is so packed full of bees there is no room between the frames to put anything…
Like in the second photo on this web site:
The trap is designed to wedge between the tops of the frames. Just use a smoker, then push it in slowly so that the bees can get out of the way.
I thought I read another article somewhere on here but I can’t find it about someone soaking the ground with something else, like a mixture of maybe vinegar or something I can’t remember?
I’ve not been doing this very long but I don’t see any bees on the ground any time that I go around the hive so why would me sprinkling de on the ground kill bees?
Does anyone have experience that these beetle blasters with the oil they have actually working to eliminate them from the hive?
From everything I’ve read about them which is why I bought them they do claim to catch small Hive beetles…
With what I seen with how many bees are packed in the top of each frame I do not see how it be possible to smoke and put these down into, between the frames because there are bees literally packed on the top of every frame and especially packed in between them…
Thanks for the info I just put an order in for a pack of these small hive beetle killers! (I’m kind of confused as to the instructions on this company’s website about how to use them, can somebody explain to me how to apply these and do I need to apply them multiple times throughout the year or just once?)
Now I just need to figure out how I’m going to get the beetle blaster in there somewhere…
Does anyone know if the Freeman beetle trap works on the flow 8 frame hive?
Yes, but you will never eliminate them, you can only help control them. I have been using them for about 2 years, and along with careful handling and good hive management, they work pretty well.
Well, it works for me, but I have more experience and a very efficient smoker! 
If you can’t, just push it in very slowly and gently. Bees aren’t totally stupid, they will try to move out of the way. Honestly, I have done it many dozens of times, and it really does work without too much disruption of the hive.
I used a washed out miracle-grow hose applicator. Just sprayed them into the soil. It was very easy and very fast. This is the kind of idea:
https://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Gro-Garden-Feeder-Plant-Separately/dp/B06Y3HMXHV/ref=asc_df_B06Y3HMXHV/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198076851563&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4365321320272336997&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031331&hvtargid=pla-379223999644&psc=1
If your hose doesn’t reach near the hives, you can water the nematodes in using a watering can. Don’t stress about it, just stir them up and pour the water onto the soil.
I think they recommend you re-apply twice a year, but I just do it once per year in Spring, and seem to have pretty good control.
Maybe your bees are more skilled than mine! 
However, during a heavy nectar flow, I often see bees coming back to the hive so laden (and perhaps tired) that they miss the landing board and fall onto the ground in front of the hive. After pausing for a little while, they gather up their strength again, flying upwards and re-aiming for the landing board. If there was DE on the ground, they would pick it up and even take it back into the hive. Not good. 
Also, if you are using nematodes, the DE may well not be good for them either. It sticks to the outer cuticle/surface and rubs holes in it. I don’t think the little worms would do very well with that. 
Okay thanks does anyone know if the Freeman beetle trap works on the flow 8 frame?
I’m wondering if because the flow Hive base already has two channels routed into the bottom to accept the plastic white cora flute peice if I could just remove that plastic white piece called the cora flute and slide in the plastic tray from the Freeman beetle wood frame to save me buying the entire wooden base from Freeman?
I would need someone that could measure that plastic tray and send me the dimensions so that I could measure the channels or if somebody already has done this to let me know, thanks Matt
I would be inclined to remove the combs with large areas of drone comb & replace them with fresh foundation. Once the drones start to emerge, they hang about in numbers in the areas from whence they emerged, making it difficult for the workers to coral the beetles, thus allowing the beetles to lay eggs in the un-emerged drone brood, which can be the start of a slime-out.
Also I noticed that some frames are touching, while others have large gaps. I suggest/recommend to evenly space the frames, including the wall of the hive. Leave about 3mm between each frame & the sides of the super, then maintain that gap.
cheers, Jeff
I’m not sure what you’re talking about when you say remove drone brood and replace with New foundation, because all my frames are foundationless?
I try to discourage folks from using foundationless frames in areas where SHBs are present for the reason I outlined. All you need to do now that your frames are built out is to only remove the frames that contain the large areas of drone comb & replace those with fresh foundation. With fresh foundation that’s properly fitted, the bees will build worker comb on those, decreasing the risk of a SHB slime-out.
Also be very careful when replacing frames, to not leave any squashed bees between frames. If the house bees can’t readily remove the squashed bees, beetles can lay eggs in them, creating unnecessary problems.
I’m not using foundation frames
The only frames that I have are fitted with a comb guide at the top.
What am I looking for when you say drone comb?
I agree with the others:
I see too much capped drone brood and no capped worker brood. That should not be the case for a nuc.
I think the nuc supplier slipped in some old drone comb (bigger cell size) so that’s what the queen is laying. Either that or you have a poorly mated queen .
In my picture, the bottom left is drone comb. The individual cells are larger. When the queen comes upon these cells, she lays an unfertilized egg therefore it becomes a drone (male). A nuc as small as yours needs no males and in nature would not build drone comb until the hive was very well established and much larger in numbers.
hey Matt, you may have read a thread of mine. I mix a cup of table salt and a cup of vinegar to a gallon of water and use a watering can with a rose on it once the salt is well mixed in and dissolved. wet the area well and that will help in SHB control and kill off the weeds as well where you can’t mow. It will not harm the bees.
Don’t use DE anywhere the bees can find or touch it as it will kill the bees.
@Dawn_SD has told you where and how to fit the SHB traps and providing you dp it slowly and with due care the traps will fit.
I’m concerned to see so much drone comb and I would cut the drone comb out of the frame then put the frame back into the hive for the bees to hopefully make worker comb. The drone Comb can be rendered down to recover the wax.
Cheers, Peter