THE SMALL HIVE BEETLE - Aethina tumida: A New Bee Pest in N.C.
In June of 1998 a new introduced pest of honey bees was first reported from the Fort Prince area of Florida. This new pest is the small hive beetle, Aethina tumida. Previously this beetle pest of honey bees and honey bee colonies was thought to be limited to southern Africa, but somehow it made the jump to the southeastern U.S.
The small hive beetle was subsequently found in North Carolina in November of 1998 and as of March 2000 it is established in the southeastern states of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina as well as Ohio. In North Carolina the new pest is currently limited to the three southern counties of Robeson, Scotland, Richmond, and to spotty location near 1-95. In addition to the establishment of the beetle in the southeastern U.S., there have also been reports of beetle findings in a number of northern and midwestern states where the beetles have been moved in conjunction with bee colonies or package bees.
Adult Small Hive Beetle
Beetle Larva
Life Cycle and Description of the Pest:
The adult stage of the beetle is brown to black in color and measures about 5mm in length. The adults enter beehives probably attracted by the odor of the bees, honey, etc) and the females lay irregular shaped masses of eggs. The adults tend to hide at the bottom of the beehive and can be very difficult to locate.
The eggs hatch into beetle larvae, which are similar in appearance to wax moth larvae. They can be distinguished from wax moth larvae in that the beetle larvae have dorsal (upper side of the body) spines and six legs on the thorax. The wax moth larvae have more than six legs with legs on the thorax and the abdomen.
The beetle larvae tunnel through the beeswax comb and tend to eat everything they contact including honey, pollen and bees. They also produce a slime layer, which seems to repel the adult bees so that the bees will not remove most of the beetle larvae, as they will with wax moth larvae. The tunneling of the beetle larvae can also cause comb to break so that stored honey will actually begin to drip or even run out the honey combs.
When the beetle larvae are old enough to pupate they will leave the hive and move into the soil near the hive.
There the beetles go through a pupal development and eventually turn into adult beetles and start the process of entering and attacking bee colonies all over again.
Impact of the Small Hive Beetle on Honey Bees:
In Florida the beetle has been reported to have destroyed over 20,00 colonies of honey bees. To date there have been no confirmed losses of honey bee colonies to the beetle pest in North Carolina. The impact of the beetle on bee colonies in Georgia and South Carolina has been varied but bee colonies have been destroyed. It is too early to determine how much of a problem the beetle will be in North Carolina at this time (April 2000).
We do know that the beetle can be spread very easily. This is not a pest like the tracheal mites or Varroa mites that have to be in contact with the bees to live. The beetle spends part of its life cycle away from bees (pupating in the ground) and all of the beetle life stages can live without contact with honey bees. Researchers in Florida may have actually been able to rear an entire generation of the beetle off rotten fruit (from adult beetles to new adult beetles). At NCSU we have been able to rear complete generations of the beetle pest on bumble bee colonies. This is a serious finding because it means that bumble bee colonies may also be at risk from the newly introduced pest.
Spread of the beetle throughout the southeast and to other states has occurred in different ways. There is some migration by the adult beetles as they search for new bee colonies to infest but the distance involved is still under study. The beetles can and have been transported with hives of bees, such as in migratory bee operations. In addition, we know from experience in North Carolina that the beetles can also be transported on package bees and this has already occurred in packages that were moved into Catawba and Buncombe Counties. Those beetle populations have been eradicated.
Treatment:
N.C. State University has applied and received permission from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for N.C. beekeepers to use the pesticide coumaphos (Bayer Bee Strips also known as Checkmite TM. This product is a 'restricted-use pesticide' and you must have a Pest Control Operator's License to purchase and use it. This pesticide is an organophosphate and it must be used very carefully and only according to label directions. North Carolina has a special exemption from the EPA to use the product and any misuse could result in the immediate cancellation of that special use exemption. There are no other labeled products for the control of the small hive beetle in the beehive at this time. A second product called GardStar is available which can be used to treat the ground where the beetles are undergoing pupation.
Neither the CheckMite Bee Hive Pest Control Strips nor GardStar should be used unless the presence of the small hive beetle has been confirmed in the beehives or in the nearby apiary locations. If you think that your bees might have the beetles, then contact your local NCDA bee inspector or local county Extension Office for assistance in determining the identification of the possible pest. The CheckMite strips in particular must be used only when the presence of the pest is confirmed; misuse of the product can result in contamination of the honey and beeswax in the hive. The active ingredient, coumaphos, is a serious pesticide and it is essential that all beekeepers work to insure that it does not contaminate any of the bee products that are used in human consumption.
AGAIN if you think that your bee colonies might be infested with the small hive beetle, then obtain confirmation BEFORE you attempt to treat the pest. For assistance contact the Honey Bee Inspection Program Office of the N.C. Dept. of Agriculture (phone 919-233-8214), the Apiculture Program Office at NCSU phone 919-515-1660), your local NCDA bee inspector, or your County Extension Office.
SPECIAL NOTES ON THE USE OF COUMAPHOS (CheckMite)
1. Coumaphos (CheckMite) is a member of the organophosphate group of pesticides, which can be very dangerous to humans and honey bees if the product is misused.
2. CheckMite is a "restricted-use pesticide" in North Carolina and you must have a Pest Control Operator's
License (homeowner or commercial) to buy and/or use the product. You can obtain a Pest Control
Operator's License through your local county Cooperative Extension Office or the N.C. Dept of Agriculture.
3. CheckMite should only be used to treat small hive beetles in the beehive after the beetles have been identified. There are other beetles that look like the small hive beetle.
a. If you think you may have the beetles then contact your local NCDA bee inspector for a free hive inspection or your local county Extension Office or the Apiculture Office at NCSU for assistance.
b. Do not use CheckMite as a preventive medication to protect your bees against small hive beetles infestations unless other hives in your apiary are infested with the beetle.
4. Always read and follow the label directions on CheckMite as well as with GardStar.
5. According to the label directions for CheckMite in NC, you may not use or sell any of the honey for human consumption if the honey is produced while the pesticide is being used in the hive or if the honey was in the hive when the pesticide was used.
6. According to the label directions for CheckMite in NC, you may not use or sell any comb honey that is made from a beehive that has been treated with this pesticide during the year that the pesticide was used.
7. The Pesticide Division of the NC Dept. of Agriculture will be making spot checks on beekeeper operations throughout the state to check for the presence of any coumaphos residues (contamination) in honey and beeswax. Contamination of honey and beeswax should not occur if the product is used according to label directions.
8. There is no tolerance allowed by the US Environmental Protection Agency for coumaphos in honey or wax that is used or sold for human consumption, and the detection of any levels of the pesticide is a violation of the law.
9. For additional information see item 3a preceding, or visit our web site at http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/Insects/Bees and check the information and associated web sites on the small hive beetle and/or attend the next spring or summer meeting of the N.C. State Beekeepers Association.
10. It is possible that the N.C. Dept. of Agriculture may develop a quarantine system to prevent the movement of small hive beetles in bee colonies. Check our website in #9 above for updated information.
SPECIAL NOTE
North Carolina is maintaining a Honey Bee Quarantine to reduce the chances that bee pests such as the small hive beetle will be brought into the state on bees from other states. Only bee dealers certified by the N.C. Dept of Agriculture are allowed to sell any honey bees into the state. When buying bees from out of state, check to be sure that the dealer is certified by the NCDA. You can obtain a list of certified dealers by visiting the NCSU Apiculture web site listed in item #9 under "Special Notes on the Use of Coumaphos" in this Note and clicking on the linked site or call the NCDA State Apiarist office in Raleigh (919) 233-8214.
Prepared by: John T. Ambrose, Extension Apiculturist August 1999, Revised April 2000
Recommendations for the use of chemicals are included in this publication as a Convenience to the reader. The use of brand names and any mention or listing of commercial products or services in this publication does not imply endorsement by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service nor discrimination against similar products or services not mentioned. Individuals who use chemicals are responsible for ensuring that the intended use complies with current regulations and conforms to the product label. Be sure to obtain current information about usage and examine a current product label before applying any chemical. For assistance, contact an agent of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service.
