Can anyone tell me if they think this is a hive beetle? I found about six to eight under my entrance reducer and a few on the outside of my hive. I didnt see any on the inside yet. Thanks.
Yes, definitely. The clubbed antennae are a give away. 
2 Likes
I have traps on order. Should I be concerned? It is a new package of bees installed 7 weeks ago. I just added my second brood box last week when I noticed them on the outside.
It is a SHB, more common in warmer weather and more so in a hive that isnât yet strong with bee numbers. I fit a couple of traps in the brood box when I do a split as a matter of course or I see too many during an inspection.
Here if you have bees then you accept you also have some SHB. I also have apiary perimeter traps set up that works great, for each SHB in the traps in the hives I get about 30 dead in the perimeter traps that donât make it to the hives.
SHB can wipe a hive out if it is weak in bees.
Cheers
Thank you Peter. I am rather surprised to have them due to the cooler weather we have been experiencing this spring in Nebraska. Temps have been routinely in the 60âs during the day and upper 40âs in the evening. My traps should arrive in the next couple days. She I be concerned with them taking over quickly, or do I have time to spare?
That is about my temperatures here with Winter coming, there isnât nearly as many SHB now as in the hot humid Summer weather but they are still about. The traps I fit in my hives is the âBeetle Busterâ that sits between the brood frames between the outer frame and the 2nd in. One on each side of the frames.
Here in Summer I have seen hives with no protection âslime outâ and the bees die, but that in my opinion is a result of another issue when there isnât enough bees to control the SHB and bad hive management. Things wonât change much in a couple of days and the first thing is to fit traps, then monitor the SHB numbers as a part of your inspection routine.
Cheers