What is the current situation with the Small hive beetle?
We have small hive beetles in Victoria where I live. Not so long ago it was compulsory to advise the Victorian Department of Agriculture of any SHB infestations. Interestingly, SHB is now ubiquitous in Victoria, and notification to the Dept Ag is no longer required.
I found a claim on another posting to this forum that SHB spread by about 2 miles per year!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is not correct. It appears that SHB can detect the scent of a hive from a great distance, and that they fly bigger distances than foraging bees do. They have no difficulty in entering a hive. Their exoskeleton is tough enough that bees cannot sting them, and their size, though small, is too big for bees to bite them.
Just today I was doing some manipulation of a hive, and saw a small hive beetle on the solid floor of the hive. SHB are very nimble little critters, and the bees actively chase them. In this instance a number of bees were chasing this beetle, which was trying to avoid them. No sooner had the beetle dodged to escape one bee when another bee took over the chase, and so it continued until I "put the beetle out of its misery".
I have done as much enquiry into the habits of SHB as I could, and have discovered a strategy to control SHB in a hive. SHB do not like to be chased by bees. It seems that the bees "enjoy" chasing the beetles, but In my opinion the bees have better things to do, such as collecting nectar, pollen, etc. It is for this reason that my thoughts have led me to design a beetle trap at the back of the hive, and this has proved spectacularly successful.
It appears that SHB is a more significant problem in warmer temperate areas, especially where humidity is high. The SHB problem in Melbourne is not nearly as severe as it is in northern Victoria, and New South Wales, but it is even worse in Queensland. Letters to this forum, from UK beekeepers, seem to have indicated that SHB is not, or may not, be a significant problem for them - I do not know what UK situation is like, with regard to SHB.
What I do know is that my beetle trap design is more effective than many other traps, especially those which sit on the top of honey frames. There are no chemicals involved, except for the oil which ensures that trapped beetles drown in it - I have used sunflower oil, but canola, olive, or other similar vegetable oil could be used.
If anyone is interested in my SHB-trap / hive-floor design, please contact me via the private message facility that this forum provides.