JC's Bee Blog

  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 C...

H.Indica  (Heterorhabditis Indica)  Nematodes        Item #95   Control  small hive beetles using soil-dwelling nematodes (H. Indica). These nematode worms are released into the soil around your bee hive in a water mixture. They can be poured onto the soil using a simple watering can or in a pressurized sprayer. The nematodes burrow downwards and seek out insects. On finding small hive beetle larvae or pupae, they enter the body of the insects and release bacteria that kill them. The nematodes then reproduce in the mass of insect matter and spread out further in the soil around your apiary.  Their effectiveness is however relative to certain soil types and they may not survive winters and droughts. Here's a 2010 research study done by the university of Georgia Honeybee Program:   "In this study, we evaluated the potential use of entomopathogenic nematodes as a control for the beetle Aethina tumida Murray (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae). In par...