Small hive beetle,Aethina tumida, populations I: Infestation levels of honeybee colonies, apiaries and regions

Abstract

-The small hive beetle (SHB) is a parasite and scavenger of honeybee colonies. Here we provide the first comprehensive systematic data on colony infestation levels with adult SHB for 226 colonies at 31 apiaries in South Africa, Australia, Florida and Maryland. Inside colonies, SHB distribution was influenced by the presence of bees with more SHB in the brood nest in the absence of bees. SHB distribution among colonies at an apiary was different from a random distribution but colony phenotypes (number of bees, amount of brood or stores) did not influence infestation levels. Apiaries next to large scale honey extraction facilities (honey houses) showed higher infestation levels and regions with more damage had higher SHB population levels. Consequently, methods of reducing SHB populations, such as the removal of dead colonies and the prevention of SHB reproduction in honey houses, seem to be important for pest management.Aethina tumida / Apis mellifera / honeybees / infestation level / small hive beetle

Organic acids and thymol: unsuitable for alternative control of Aethina tumida (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae)?

“…Two weeks before the experiment, 20 queen-right colonies (predominantly A. mellifera ligustica) of similar size (approximately six frames of bees) were set up for each of the three treatments described below. The adult SHBs in the naturally infested colonies were carefully removed from each frame and all other hive parts with an aspirator (Spiewok et al 2007). They were kept on a honey and water diet at room temperature until they were used for the artificial re-infestation of the bee colonies.…”

“…For example, in the laboratory, the beetles were exposed to the agents without any hiding places. In contrast, eggs laid in crevices or in capped brood cells (Ellis et al 2003;Neumann and Elzen 2004;Spiewok et al 2007), as well as larvae that mine within combs (Lundie 1940;Schmolke 1974), are likely to be less exposed to the treatments. A high portion (>50%) of the introduced adult SHBs could not be relocated in the colonies neither in longer-term trials (e.g., 13 days in the formic acid investigation) nor in shorter trials (e.g., 48 h in the oxalic acid investigation).…”

“…Adult SHBs feed and reproduce in honeybee colonies in Africa (Lundie 1940;Neumann and Elzen 2004) and cause considerable economic damage to apiculture operations in the USA (Hood 2004) and Australia (Gillespie et al 2003;Spiewok et al 2007).…”

Issues affecting British honey bee biodiversity and the need for conservation of this important ecological component

“…However, the beetles have recently gained considerable international attention since they escaped their endemic range in the mid1990s, being first found in the United States in 1998 (Elzen et al, 1999). The main reason for this heightened attention is the beetles' ability to cause substantial damage to colonies of European races of honey bees (Hood, 2000;Ellis et al, 2003;Neumann and Elzen, 2004;Spiewok et al, 2007). With the recent discovery in 2005 of small hive beetle larvae in a consignment of queens imported illegally from Texas into Portugal (Murilhas, 2005), awareness throughout the EU of the poten tial threat of exotic incursions must be heightened.…”

The Modified Pharaoh Approach: Stingless bees mummify beetle parasites alive

“…Here we show, using Diagnostic Radioentomology 6 Saharan Africa 2,5,7,13 . It has become an invasive species 14 with well established populations in North America and Australia 13,15 . It lives within A. mellifera nests and feeds on brood, stored food and dead bees 5,7,16,17 .…”