Small Hive Beetle
This could be your maggot infested hive.
Want to know how to avoid it ... read the text below and then act
The Small hive beetle, Aethina tumida (Murray) (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) is native to South Africa but is not regarded as a serious pest there. However, in the United States, where the beetle was first discovered in 1998, it has become a significant pest and it has now spread to fifteen states in the eastern half of the US where it causes serious damage to beehives. The beetle has now also been confirmed in beehives in two areas of Australia - New South Wales and Queensland.
Larvae of the small hive beetle can cause total destruction to honey bees colonies within a season. They tunnel through combs, eating honey and pollen and killing bee brood, completely ruining the combs.
Heavy infestations cause bees to abscond; some beekeepers have reported the rapid collapse of even strong colonies.
Worse, the larvae defecate in honey promoting fermentation. Fermented honey cannot be used by anyone and has to be destroyed.
The beetles can feed on ripened fruit and, therefore contaminated fruit and cucurbits could provide an effective means for the pest to spread.
Beetles have been recorded to fly up to seven kilometers.
IDENTIFICATION
The adult beetle, which is the stage most commonly seen, is black or dark brown, ovoid in outline and about 5–7 mm long.
They have clearly clubbed antennae and wing cases (elytra) shortened so that the apical few segments of the abdomen are visible.
In general, the adult
beetles are about one third the size of a worker honeybee. The adult beetles lay
small elongate whitish eggs in clumps in beehives. The eggs are smaller than
honeybee eggs but similar in shape and colour.
The larvae grow to 10–13 mm long, cigar shaped and pale whitish cream. Their most distinctive feature is the presence of two rows of short spines along the center of the back, with the last two projecting beyond the rear end of the larva. When fully grown, the larvae enter the soil in front of and beneath the hive to pupate.
The Small Hive Beetle larva should not be confused with the Wax moth larva, which has a number of prolegs in addition to its thoracic legs and also spins web or cocoons.
LIFE CYCLE OF SMALL HIVE BEETLE
Adult beetles live primarily in the hives, where they feed on bee eggs, pollen and rubbish within the hive. They lay their eggs, usually out of the way of bees, within hives. These eggs, which are 1.2 mm long and white, can be found anywhere in a hive – including on wax – and are difficult to find. The eggs usually hatch into larvae after 2–4 days
Larvae grow in the hives and mature by 21 days. They feed on pollen and brood in particular, but burrow through wax and can feed on, and contaminate, honey as well. The mature larvae are attracted to light and leave the entrance of the hive to find soil in which to pupate. They burrow up to 200 mm deep into the soil, depending on the soil type. They prefer soft, sandy soil. In the USA, 100% of pupating larvae have been found within 900 mm of the hive. Not all larvae leave the hive – pupae can be found lodged in hives or stored material as well as soil.
Most pupae hatch and beetles emerge within 60 days unless conditions are very cold (up to 100 days at less than 10°C). Emergent beetles are pale yellowish brown at first but darken quickly. They fly readily and are attracted to light.
Beetles are strongly attracted to bees (even more so than hives/honey/pollen) and enter nearby hives where they feed. Beetles can fly well but technical detail on this is scarce. They are reported overseas as travelling with swarming bees. Adults can survive only about 5 days without food or water, but when removed from hives can complete a life cycle on various tropical and other fruits, including melon.
SPREAD OF SMALL HIVE BEETLE
While the beetle is spread mainly by the movement by beekeepers of beehives and bees, direct spread by flying beetles up to seven kilometers has now been seen in Australia.
The beetle pupates in the soil, so the movement of soil from apiary sites could possibly spread infestation.
Wherever possible, contaminated hives should not be placed within 5–10 kilometers of other hives, to protect the uncontaminated hives from infestation by flying beetles. Weak hives and larger apiaries are more attractive to beetles.
The life cycle and multiplication of the beetle can be disrupted by appropriate treatments.
What can you do?
The UK government, in its ever increasing inspirational wisdom, has decreed that Honeybees may be imported from third world countries into the UK.
These imports will be restricted to consignments of Queen bees and attendant workers only.
Two of the countries listed ... you guessed correctly ... are South Africa and Australia, both rife with the small hive beetle.
Varroa is believed to have been introduced into the UK with consignments of Queen bees and attendants
History is about to be rerun and others will pay the price for uncaring officialdom and the greed of the few beekeepers who continue to import exotic queens#
The import of ALL bees into UK should be prohibited.
If you have any feeling on this subject and would like to mount some form of protest ... please will you write to Kim Chadwick and ask for this Legislation to be reversed. Please include your address and telephone details in you letter/e-mail, or DEFRA will tell you 'they can't take your letter any further without them'