Small Hive Beetles#
1 . When were small hive beetles introduced into the United States?
1998
2 . What is the scientific name for the small hive beetle?
Aethina tumida (Small hive beetle or SHB)
3 . How are small hive beetles different in the way they harm colony compared to the wax moths?
Small hive beetles can actually overrun and kill a colony that has been weakened by something (swarming, queenlessness, varroa, disease, location) whereas wax moths are opportunistic pests that don’t kill a colony but instead move in and destroy the wax and equipment once the colony is dead or about to die.
4 . Since small hive beetles can overrun and kill colonies, that puts which kind of hives at particular risk?
Observation hives and nucleus colonies (nucs)
5 . Can small hive beetles fly?
Yes
6 . Where do female small hive beetles deposit their eggs within the hive?
They oviposit eggs in protected crevices like the corners of hive bodies or supers, pollen or capped brood cells.
7 . What do small hive beetle larva eat?
Honey, brood, and pollen
8 . What must small hive beetle larva do to complete their life cycle?
After they have completed their larval stage, they exit the hive and pupate in the soil to complete their life cycle.
9 . How can you tell the difference between wax moth larvae and small hive beetle larvae?
Wax moth larva have softer bodies and spin a tough silken cocoon to pupate. Small hive beetle larva are thick skinned, but the most conclusive difference is the placement of the legs. Wax moths are caterpillars and have legs on each segment that run the length of the body, whereas beetles only have 3 pair of legs located on the first three segments of their body.
10 . How do you know that your hive has been overrun by small hive beetles?
There are few to no bees left in the hive. There are a number of larvae and adult beetles crawling around. The brood nest and honey stores may be “slimed’ with a slick, oozy material covering the surface. This is due to the adults and larvae defecating in the pollen and honey causing it to ferment and ooze. The honey is unfit for human consumption. There may also be a strong smell of fermentation.
11 . What is the IPM approach to controlling small hive beetles?
Keeping colonies healthy
Placing hives in a sunny location
Using genetically resistant bees
Trapping beetle adults
Using beneficial organisms such as predacious nematodes to kill the pupae in the soil
Diatomaceous earth in traps
12 . What is the name of the 2 labeled chemicals that some states allow to be used for the control of small hive beetles?
Coumaphos (Check-Mite) & 40% permethrin sprayed on the ground in the front and under the hive. (Guard Star). We do not recommend using either of these products since coumaphos can be found in honey and permethrin will kill all beneficials in the soil.
13 . How does diatomaceous earth work to control small hive beetles?
Small crystals of diatomaceous earth lacerate the gut of the beetle larva