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Small Hive Beetle Fact Sheet

 

Small Hive Beetle Facts

  • Females hive beetles may lay up to 1,000 eggs.
  • Eggs are laid in cracks and crevices inside the hive.
  • Eggs Hatch in about 3 days (range 3-6 days)
  • Larva feed on pollen, honey and brood inside the hive.
  • Larva leave the hive and enter soil around the hive from 7 to 10pm (peak at 9pm).
  • Remain as larva in soil for 3-5 days.
  • Mature larva are about 1/4" to 3/8" in length.
  • About 83% of larva enter soil within 12 inches of hive.
  • Roughly 80% burrow into the soil to a depth of 1-4 inches. 
  • Hive beetle larva pupate after being larva for 16-19 days.
  • Pupal stage lasts about 8 days.
  • New adult hive beetles emerge from soil several days after becoming adults.
  • Dry soils are more favorable to adults development.
  • Life cycle of shb averages 27-30 days.
  • Adults are known to live 188 days
  • Adults hive beetles hide during winter inside honey bee colonies and in honey houses.


    Small Hive Beetle larva crawling out to enter soil

     

Common Practices That Will Help Lower Beetle Count

  • Place hives in full sun
  • Keep the grass around and under hives trimmed or place gravel under hives
  • Keep bee yard clean and tidy, beetles are attacted by the smell of hives so keeping all burr comb picked up and having all hive tightly closed is a huge plus.
  • Avoid placing hives in sandy areas where larva can easily bore into soil.
  • Don't add more boxes than needed, keep the colonies strong with area they can manage
  • Use caution when feeding pollen patties as beetles larva will invade it. Offer small chunks that the bees can consume in a day or two. 



Options To Control SHB's
Common small hive beetle traps (Beetle Barns, Beetle Blaster, Guardian Hive entrance). 






A great natural way to control small hive beetles is nematodes. Nematodes will hunt down small hive beetles in the soil and eat them. Learn more about and purchase nematodes HERE


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