SHB Larva and bottom entries

[Michael Bush]

Just a few observations on the logic here, not on SHB, as I have too little experience with that.

Just because you still see a lot of SHB does not mean you aren't interfering with their life cycle.  As mentioned they fly long distances and they may be coming from somewhere else.  It still seems like it's a good idea, as much as it's not a lot of trouble and it's not an insecticide, to interfere with their reproduction.

Just because someone in the South has never seen them pupate in the hive does not mean that someone in the North hasn't.  The SHB behavior could vary a lot according to the climate or temperatures at the time.

[TwT]

now these are people (Keith) that study these thing for a living and share research with Northern Universities that also study them, there would be some kind of proof it was to ever been seen, now this hear say is nothing but hear say, think about it northern beekeepers would have found and taken pictures of this if it was to happen. one day they may evolve to do this but it is just hear say now.

[SlickMick]

I'll follow up on this over the next few days with the DPI over here to see if there has been any research done on their pupation that may shed some light on this question.

Of course, should you manage to break the life cycle at the pupation state this would be more than likely too late to save the hive as the damage would be done. Not that we should not continue to exercise management practices that may(?) reduce the overall impact of the beetle.

[SlickMick]

Just because someone in the South has never seen them pupate in the hive does not mean that someone in the North hasn't.  The SHB behavior could vary a lot according to the climate or temperatures at the time.

That becomes another element in the question of control. The life cycle of the SHB may well be short enough that it is able to develop survival strategies that deal with the environment they are in or develop resistance to some of the chemicals against them. I dont know how your authorities deal with "approved" chemical treatments but I do know that there are quite severe restrictions over here and at the moment trapping and management seems to be the "approved" method of control.