Glossary
Aethina tumida, a dark brown beetle native to sub-Saharan Africa that has become a significant pest of honey bee colonies worldwide. Small hive beetles lay eggs in the hive; their larvae tunnel through comb, consuming honey, pollen, and brood, and causing the honey to ferment and slime.
The small hive beetle (SHB) was first detected in the United States in 1996 in Florida and has since spread across most of the eastern and southern states. Native to sub-Saharan Africa, where native bee species have evolved behavioral defenses against it, SHB found a perfect environment in the American Southeast: warm temperatures, abundant beehives, and host bees with no evolved defense behaviors.
Adult beetles enter hives and hide in cracks and corners, evading bee guards. Females lay eggs in clusters (up to 1,000 at a time) in comb crevices. The larvae are the destructive stage: they tunnel through comb, consuming honey, pollen, and brood. As they feed, they defecate in the honey, inoculating it with yeast (Kodamaea ohmeri) that causes rapid fermentation. The honey bubbles, oozes, and produces a foul smell. A heavy larval infestation can destroy an entire hive's comb and stores in days, leaving a slimy, fermenting mess that bees abandon.
Strong colonies with large populations of adult bees can corral SHB adults into "beetle jails" (propolis prisons where bees entomb beetle clusters) and detect and remove eggs before they hatch. Weak colonies, nucs, and hives with excess space (more supers than the colony can patrol) are the most vulnerable. The primary management strategy is maintaining strong, populous colonies with no excess empty space.
Beetle traps (oil-filled traps placed between frames or on the bottom board) capture adult beetles. Ground management (diatomaceous earth or permethrin treatment of soil beneath hives) kills pupating larvae (SHB larvae pupate in the soil, not in the hive). Timely honey harvest (do not leave pulled supers sitting in hot storage where SHB can reproduce unchecked) is critical in SHB-endemic areas. In Florida, SHB is a year-round concern that every beekeeper must manage proactively.
Rarely. Strong, populous colonies effectively manage SHB adult populations by corralling them and removing eggs. SHB typically causes problems in weak colonies, splits, nucs, and hives with too much empty space. However, extreme infestations during hot weather, or in colonies stressed by other factors, can overwhelm even moderately strong hives.
Yes. Florida's warm, humid climate is ideal for SHB reproduction (year-round breeding, fast larval development in warm soil). SHB management is a standard part of Florida beekeeping. Beetle traps, strong colony management, prompt honey harvest after pulling supers, and soil treatment are all standard practices.
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