Maintain strong colonies to resist SHB

Keep colonies populous and healthy so bees can actively corral, harass, and expel adult beetles faster than they can reproduce. A strong colony of 40,000+ bees will confine beetles to corners and crevices, preventing them from laying eggs on comb.

Why It Works

SHB succeed primarily in weak or stressed colonies where there are not enough bees to patrol all comb surfaces. In strong colonies, guard bees chase beetles into "beetle jails" -- tight spaces where beetles are imprisoned by propolis. When bee-to-beetle ratios are high, beetles cannot access brood comb to lay eggs and the infestation stalls.

Tips

• Manage Varroa mites aggressively, as mite-weakened colonies are far more vulnerable to SHB
• Avoid giving colonies more comb space than they can patrol; remove excess empty supers
• Requeen underperforming colonies promptly to maintain strong population growth
• Combine weak colonies rather than trying to nurse them through a beetle infestation