Small Hive Beetle (Aethina tumida)

The small hive beetle (Aethina tumida) is an invasive beetle of African origin whose larvae tunnel through the comb and make the honey ferment. In Türkiye it is notifiable: if you suspect it, do not use any medicine on your own, do not move hives or equipment, take a sample and report it immediately to the official veterinary service / local agriculture authority.

What is it and how does it spread?

The beetle is native to sub-Saharan Africa; there it is usually a minor problem because the bees have evolved alongside it. In the late 1990s it was carried to the USA, then to Australia and other countries. In Europe it has been present in southern Italy since 2014. In the regions it newly enters the damage is great, because the local bee populations cannot drive the beetle out well enough.

• The adult beetle flies and can find hives kilometres away.
• Transport by people is the main long-distance route: colonies, package bees, queen cages (with attendant bees), used comb and equipment, apiary soil, beeswax and the fruit trade.
• The mature larva enters the soil to pupate. Loose, moist and warm soils speed up development. This is why the cycle is not broken if control is limited to the inside of the hive.

How to recognise it

Adult beetle

• About 5–7 mm long and 3–4.5 mm wide; oval, flattened, dark brown to black in colour. A newly emerged beetle is lighter, reddish-brown.
• The antennae end in a club; the wing covers are short, leaving the tip of the abdomen slightly exposed.
• It avoids light: when you open the lid it runs quickly from under the crown board and from the edges of the frames into dark corners and down to the floor.

Larva

• Creamy white, up to about 1 cm when mature.
• Three pairs of short legs at the head end; no legs on the rest of the body.
• Two rows of short spines along the back and small projections on each segment.
• It does not spin silk webbing; it leaves wet, slimy damage in the comb.

What you see in the hive

• Fermented honey seeping and frothing out of the cells; a sour smell reminiscent of rotten oranges
• Slimy, glistening, mucus-like comb; tunnelled cells, spoiled pollen
• Large numbers of larvae in clusters; in severe cases the bees abscond
• Sudden, rapid spoilage of honey combs waiting in the extracting room

How it differs from wax moth

Beekeepers most often confuse it with the wax moth larva. Looking only at "does it have legs" is misleading, because the wax moth larva also has three pairs of legs at the front.

How to check the hive

1. When you open the lid, first look under the crown board and in the corners of the lid; try to catch beetles before they flee from the light.
2. Check the floor and the corners of the hive; the beetles hide there.
3. Look for larvae along the frame edges and in honey and pollen cells.
4. In-hive traps for monitoring (a corrugated plastic strip placed on the floor, an oil trap hung between frames) help to collect the beetles.

What to do if you suspect it

1. Do not move the hive or equipment. Do not take hives, frames, honey, comb or tools to another apiary.
2. Take a sample. Put the beetles and larvae you find in alcohol in a tightly closing container. If possible take photographs and note the hive number and the date.
3. Report it immediately. Notify the official veterinary service / local agriculture authority. The official diagnosis is made in the laboratory.
4. Do not use any medicine on your own. The measures to be taken in the hive or in the soil, including destruction of the colony, are decided by official veterinarians.

Prevention

• Buy colonies, package bees and queens only from registered sources with health certificates. Be especially careful with bees from abroad and with used equipment.
• Keep the colony strong. A strong colony corners the beetles and makes it hard for them to lay eggs.
• Do not leave space the bees cannot protect. Boxes and empty frames beyond the colony's strength give the beetle places to hide.
• Do not let harvested honey stand. Do not keep supers in the extracting room for days; keep the room clean and dry, and do not leave extraction leftovers in the open.
• Choose the apiary site carefully. Sunny, dry, firm soil makes pupal development difficult; avoid shade and damp ground.