Small Hive Beetle Prevention 🐝

If you haven't been checking for Small Hive Beetles (SHB), now is the time.

As temperatures climb and colonies grow, SHB populations can increase quickly. Left unchecked, they can damage comb, contaminate honey, stress colonies, and create a mess no beekeeper wants to deal with.

The good news? Early monitoring and prevention go a long way.

• Cut the Towel: Take a single Brawny Dine-A-Max cleaning towel and cut it into 2 or three equal strips. 
• Placement: Place the towel pieces on top of the frames, specifically in the outer corners of the bee box where the beetles naturally hide from the bees.
• Let the Bees Work: Leave the towel on the top of the frames. The bees will view it as foreign debris and aggressively try to remove it. Their chewing frays the fibers of the towel, creating a fuzzy, velcro-like texture.
• The Trap Effect: The bees will chase and herd the beetles to get rid of them. As the beetles are chased by the bees, they seek refuge in the corners. Their legs get tangled in the fine fibers of the shredded towel, trapping and eventually starving them. 
• Maintenance: Be sure to check the towels every 3 to 7 days. Once the towel fills up with trapped beetles, dispose of it and replace it with a fresh piece.

• Strong Hives are Key: Towels are only a population maintenance tool, not a complete cure. Keeping your honeybee colony strong and managing mite loads is still the number one way to prevent a beetle takeover. 
• Propolis Caution: Occasionally, the bees will coat the towel in propolis instead of chewing it, or they might propolize it to the top of the frames, rendering the trap ineffective. 
• Dry Sheets: Ensure the towels remain completely dry and do not contain any added scents or chemicals

Remember: Strong colonies are your best defense. Beetle traps and monitoring tools help manage populations, but healthy bees are still the first line of protection.