Beekeepers in southern climates have two primary strategies for protecting honey supers from small hive beetles (SHB) during brief winters: leveraging the colony's natural defenses or employing sealed off-hive storage. If the colony is populous and robust, supers may remain on the hive; however, if the population is dwindling, you must isolate the equipment using freezers or heavy-duty sealing methods.
Core Takeaway The safety of your drawn comb depends entirely on the ratio of bee population to hive space. Strong colonies can police their own supers effectively, but weak colonies cannot defend excess territory, necessitating off-hive storage in freezers or sealed bags to prevent beetle infestation.
Strategy 1: Utilizing the Colony's Defenses
Assessing Colony Strength
The most efficient method in warmer regions is to place supers back on existing hives. This works only if the bee population is sufficient to patrol the additional space and physically harass or remove beetles.
The Southern Climate Advantage
Because the southern winter is brief, the window of vulnerability is shorter than in northern climates. Strong hives can maintain defensive behavior throughout these shorter cool periods, effectively guarding the comb for you.
Strategy 2: Off-Hive Storage Methods
Freezing the Frames
If a hive's population is dwindling or too weak to defend extra boxes, you must remove the supers immediately. Storing frames in a freezer is the most effective method, as it kills both adult beetles and any eggs already present on the comb.
Sealed Mechanical Barriers
If freezer space is limited, you can store supers in large, sealed plastic bags. This mechanical barrier prevents adult beetles from accessing the comb to lay eggs.
Protection from Vertebrate Pests
When storing frames outside of a freezer (even if bagged), you must account for rodents. Mice actively seek nesting sites in stored equipment; ensure bagged supers are placed in secure bins or a rodent-proof room to prevent destruction of the wax.
Understanding the Trade-offs
The Risk of Over-Supering
The most common error is leaving supers on a colony that lacks the numbers to defend them. If the bee population drops while the space remains large, small hive beetles will bypass the cluster and lay eggs in the unprotected supers, leading to a "slime out."
Storage Vulnerabilities
While plastic bags stop beetles, they offer no protection against mice. Storing bagged supers in an open shed without secondary rodent protection often results in preserved comb that is subsequently destroyed by nesting mice.
Making the Right Choice for Your Apiary
To determine the best approach for your specific equipment, evaluate your resources and colony status:
- If your primary focus is labor efficiency: Consolidate supers onto your strongest colonies, provided they have the population density to patrol the extra vertical space.
- If your primary focus is risk mitigation: Remove all supers from hives with average or declining populations and store them in a freezer to guarantee beetle elimination.
- If your primary focus is bulk storage without freezing: Seal supers in heavy plastic bags and place them inside hard plastic bins to protect against both beetles and rodents.
The goal is to never provide the small hive beetle with undefended wax.
Summary Table:
| Strategy | Suitability | Key Benefit | Main Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-Hive Defense | Strong, populous colonies | Zero labor & storage cost | Over-supering leads to 'slime out' |
| Freezer Storage | Any colony strength | 100% kill rate for eggs/adults | Limited appliance space |
| Sealed Bagging | Bulk storage needs | Effective mechanical barrier | No protection against rodents |
| Rodent-Proofing | Off-hive storage | Protects wax from mice | Requires hard-shell containers |
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