I transferred my 5 nuc frames into my flow hive today. The nuc came with an insulated foil sheet (like used inside car windscreens to keep the heat out).
There were 100 to 200 teas bees as a result of the I sulation as they got stuck between it and the roof of the nuc box. There were dozens of larvae around the deas bees that were about 4mm long and 1mm thick. I thought these must have been SHB but after reading about it they are too small to be SHB. Any idea what they are? I didn’t do a thorough inspection of the comb as I just wanted to get the frames moved into the hive. What I did see was lots of empty foundation.
There are SHB in the nuc as I tapped a few out of the trap that came with the nuc.
It sounds like something hive beetles would lay eggs in. My money would be on very young hive beetle larvae, especially seeing as you found hive beetles. The obvious request is for you to post some photos.
cheers
I was on my own when I transferred the frames. I’ll have someone with me to take some pics next time. Given the number of dead bees they might just be maggots. There were only 3 hive beetles and they were dead from the trap.
Thanks for the replies.
I’ve never seen maggots in bee hives, only hive beetle larvae that looks like maggots. However in some parts of the world black soldier flies can be a problem. Hive beetles will lay eggs in brood, dead bees & pollen. Therefore a cluster of dead bees, especially a hundred or more is guaranteed to attract a mated female hive beetle.
Just keep an eye on that because they grow fast & they exude a slime that is a bee repellent.