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| Small Hive Beetle |
So I have a problem. This little critter is a Small Hive Beetle, and I have now seen at least two or three of them in each hive. The beetles themselves are not a massive problem but their larva are. They eat through the honeycomb and can ruin entire frames of comb, honey, and pollen.
I've been looking around on some forums and it seems like one of the best tactics is to move the hives into full sun, which mine are definitely not, and I've been worried about this already. Turns out the shade and cool climate near the edge of a wood is not the best spot. I'll have to do this soon, ideally before I add an additional hive body to either hive. It also sounds like I'm going to have to inspect the hives more than once a week for a little while and hopefully keep the beetles from getting too destructive. I also need to add screened bottom boards to the hives. Normally that tactic is used to combat Varroa mites, but it should work against the SHB, too.
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