Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Destruction can be extensive. Mated females lay clusters of tiny eggs in locations the
bees don't have access to. The eggs hatch and hundreds, even thousands of aggressive
larvae tunnel through brood comb, honeycomb, any comb seeking pollen and especially
larvae and pupae to eat. As they tunnel they excrete a liquid mess that causes any honey
it contacts to ferment and bubble and turn into what beekeepers call
beetle slime
.
When the beetles attack small, weak, or disorganized colonies the resistance put up
by the bees is weak and futile. Soon the beetles command much of the unoccupied por-
tions of the colony, then in mass invade and destroy the remainder. Colonies that are
strong with larger populations can often hold their own against an invasion, and with a
little help from the beekeeper the bees can win this battle without using harsh chemicals
or poisons.
Avoiding Small Hive Beetles
The first line of defense against small hive beetles is to maintain large, strong colonies
that are not under stress from other pests, diseases, or nutritional issues.
If you have weak or small colonies, especially those splits made later in the summer,
there are several traps available that are effective in keeping beetle populations down.
All offer the beetles a place to hide from the bees, and once in, offer no way out. The
differences are mainly placement in the hive, and size.
Some are made like trays that sit on, or replace the bottom board of the hive. There
are slots in the top the beetles can enter but the bees can't, and the bottom tray holds a
supply of food-grade vegetable oil the beetles drown in. Though effective be aware that
they replace the screened bottom board in the colony and that the colony must be nearly
level so the oil doesn't run out or collect on one side or the other. You also will need yet
another large piece of equipment. Other versions of this trap are made so that the tray
holding the oil can be slid in from the back, fitting into a slot in a specially made bottom
board that could be screened. With this version you needed fewer trays and could still
have screened bottoms on the hives. It was a better move.
Another trap, the beetle eater, fits between the top bars. It too is filled with oil and
beetles enter to escape the bees and drown in the oil. Unfortunately, early versions of
this trap were quite shallow and didn't hold many dead beetles, while the oil spilled
easily when removed. But it is effective and inexpensive enough that every colony can
have one. The traps are easily inserted between top bars and can be moved within the
colony. A similar disposable version is also available.
The hood trap may be the most effective because it overcomes many of these prob-
lems. It is essentially a narrow box with a one-way entrance on top, and oil and bait
inside. The beetles seek it to hide in or are attracted to the bait and when they enter
it's over for them. The box is the width of a bottom bar and about half as long. It is
attached to the bottom of a frame and placed near the brood nest. This arrangement has
