BEEKEEPING INFORMATION

OHIO DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Division of Plant Industry - Apiculture 8995 East Main Street Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068-3399

"SHB FACTS AND OBSERVATIONS"

Small Hive Beetles (SHB) were named this because in South Africa there is a large hive beetle.

Majority of SHB were found to pupate in sandy soil at 1-10 cm ('/2-4 in) depth and within 30 cm (1 2 in) from the hive entrance.

Adults (SHB) are the overwintering stage and can be found in the bee cluster.

Adults can survive for up to 5 days without food or water.

Mature larvae crawl from the hive and into the soil to pupate.

Beekeepers could break the life cycle by moving colonies or by soil treatments.

Temperature and humidity are key components regarding the percent of SHB eggs that hatch and adults emerge. (Higher temperatures and humidity result in increased percentages of egg hatch and emergence.)

When SHB larval slime trails are observed on hive bodies - colony can be considered as infested.

Temperatures determine where you look for the SHB in a colony. (Cooler - top, hot -bottom.)

SHB will try to avoid light when looking in a hive.

Ground drench works good if hive has one entrance.

Larvae are attracted to light in the honey house.

Soil around the honey house can be treated for SHB.

Research indicated about 80% of the SHB were found under or in close proximity to the hive entrance (less than 30 cm or 1 2 in).

No SHB's were found at 1 80 cm (6 feet) from the hive.

Another document on SHB follows this one below

Prepared by:

Gordon Rudloff

State Apiarist

Ohio Department of Agriculture

Resources:

Dr. Jeff Pettis,

USDA

Beltsville

2/2000

Document mailed to Ohio Beekeepers in 1999

Small Hive Beetle - Aethina tumida

(a new beehive pest in the U.S.)

The adult is black in color and about 1/3 the size of a worker bee. It is found in South Africa and has been diagnosed in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. So far, no positive finds in Ohio. The beetle moves rapidly across the combs and is difficult to pick up by hand.

Larvae may be mistaken for wax moth larvae, however, beetle larvae have 3 pairs of legs, do not spin cocoons and must complete their development in the soil outside the beehive. In heavily infested colonies they can be seen crawling out the hive entrance or across the floor from within the stored honey supers.

This pest may enter our state through the movement of colonies, nuc hives and/or package bees. Check your colonies regularly and if you susped beetle infestation, please let me know immediately.

Prepared by:

Gordon Rudloff

Ohio Department of Agriculture

8995 East Main Street

Reynoldsburg OH 43068-3399