Bee Pollen Health

Endemic to sub-Saharan African, hive beetles (Aethina tumida) were first discovered in the United States in 1996; they have since spread through many southern, midwestern, and eastern states. They have also spread to Hawaii and Australia. Beetle larvae inside the hive can tunnel through honeycombs, feeding on honey and defecating in the same honey, causing discoloration and fermentation and ruining the honey crop for beekeepers.

Adult beetles are dark brown or black, and about half a centimeter in length. Adults can live up to six months; females will lay their eggs, in irregular masses, in cracks in a hive. After a few days, the eggs hatch into white larvae that grow to a centimeter in length; these larvae are voracious, feeding on honey and pollen as they burrow through honeycombs and contaminating stored honey in the process. After two or three weeks, the larvae will mature and leave the hive, burrowing into nearby soil to pupate. This process lasts three to four weeks. New adult beetles will then emerge, mate, and find a new hive to lay their eggs in. In warmer climates, the beetles can cycle through this process four or five times in a year, utterly destroying a bee farm.

Hive beetles do not pass any deadly pathogens on to bees, as do varroa mites. The danger they pose is through the feeding activities of their larvae. The hives become uninhabitable. As the larvae tunnel their way through honeycombs, they destroy the structure of the combs and wax cappings. Their activity causes honey to ferment; this fermenting honey takes on a strong, unpleasant odor, not unlike that of rotting oranges. The honey becomes frothy and begins seeping out of the combs and onto the floor of the hive, discolored by the larvae’s feces. At this point, bees will abandon a hive, and the beekeeper must disinfect or destroy the hive.

In South Africa and elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa, small hive beetles only infest hives that are already weakened, and as such they have not prompted major control efforts. However, evidence from infested hives in South Carolina and Florida indicate that these beetles may be more destructive in the United States than they are in Africa.

The most effective strategy for combating these beetles is to maintain colony strength. A strong, active colony will be able to combat the beetle larvae on its own, or will discourage adult beetles from invading the hive and laying eggs there. Various compounds can be introduced into a hive that are harmless to bees but deadly to small hive beetles. Paradichlorobenzene is a common pesticide and deodorant, most commonly used in mothballs. It is also effective as a disinfectant and control for mold and mildew; “urinal cakes” in public restrooms commonly contain this compound. The compound can be applied to empty honeycombs in a hive to prevent infestations of beetle larvae. And coumaphos bee strips, manufactured by the Bayer Corporation, have been approved for use in many jurisdictions. These strips, which contain 10 percent coumaphos (a chemical compound), are effective against varroa mites and can also be effective against small hive beetles.

Also, there are many beetle traps on the market that use nontoxic oils to suffocate the beetles. Use of these traps can prevent having to introduce toxic chemicals into a hive. Some brand names of effective traps include the Hood Trap, the Freeman Beetle Trap, the West Trap, and AJ’s Beetle Eater. If you capture a few of the beetles and wish to preserve them for identification purposes, submerse them in a container of vinegar or methylated spirits. If the beetles are still alive when you capture them, the vinegar or spirits will kill them.

You can also treat the soil around your hives with a soil insecticide such as GardStar; this will kill the larvae as they attempt to burrow and pupate.

Small hive beetles can be extremely destructive, but if you take the proper measures, you can control beetle infestations and ensure the health of your bee colonies.