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Home , Beehive, Bee brood, Honeycomb, Honey extraction, Small hive beetle

Small Hive (SHB) Source Apimondia, IZSLT - Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana “Mariano Aleandri” Keywords , hive beetle, parasite Country of first practice General ID and publishing year 10020 and 2019 Sustainable Development Goals No poverty and life on land

Summary The (SHB), or Aethina The larvae of the SHB are responsible for tumida MURRAY, is a native to Southern the greater damage inside the hive. They Africa that affects the colonies are cream-coloured and about 11 mm long and other and other pollinating of at the end of their development stage. The the Apoidea family such as the bumble larvae can be recognized by four rows of (genus Bombus). dorsal spikes along the back, three pairs of Actually, the SHB is present in North legs and two rear spines (Figure 1). These are America, in Central America and the three very clear characteristics that can allow Caribbean, and SHB was reported in South the to distinguish larvae of the Galleria America (Brazil, 2016). It was detected in SHB from larvae of the wax moth ( melonella North Africa (, 2000) but a later survey ) (Figure 2). did not confirm it. In the SHB is Figure 1: of the SHB, Aethina tumida Murray, dorsal (right) and ventral (left) view. The SHB larva can be present since 2002, and has been recorded in distinguished from the wax moth larva by its four rows of Asia (Philippines, 2015). In , the SBH is dorsal spikes along the back, three pairs of legs and two rear © FAO/ present in since 2014. spines (in red circles).

This information sheet describes the Josephine Ratikan morphology and the life cycle of SHB, how it spreads and how to prevent or control it. Description 1. Morphology of the parasite Adults of the SHB are oval-shaped. The eggs of the SHB are white-pearly with With increasing age, adults are first a shape quite similar to those of bees but yellow‑reddish, then become gradually smaller (about one-third). They are 1.4 mm brown, dark brown and eventually black long and 0.26 mm wide and are laid by the when they reach sexual maturity (Figure 3). fecundated females of the SHB in the hive They can survive inside the hive up to six interstices and in the small gaps (difficult months. The body is rather for bees to access and remove the eggs) flattened, 0.5 to 0.7 cm long or inside the capped brood cell (after and 0.3 to 0.45 cm wide perforating the cap). The incubation period (about one-third of the adult TECA of the eggs varies from one to three days. bee size). The antennas are TECHNOLOGIES and PRACTICES for SMALL AGRICULTURAL 1/6 PRODUCERS Beekeeping

club-shaped and the rather long legs enable lacking so far. are attracted by the the SHB to move easily and quickly inside the smell of live bees and combs containing hives. Its natural armour on the back and the and/or larvae. Adult beetles spend characteristic “turtle position” (retracting the winter season inside the hives feeding on head and legs under the body). They assume pollen, honey and . when attacked, protect them by the honey Once inside the hives, females begin to lay bee bites and stings. hundreds of eggs, preferably on the brood Figure 2: (wax moth) larva on bottom combs by drilling the cap of the brood or in tray of the hive the hive cracks. In in their four to six months life cycle they may lay more than a thousand eggs. Many species of bees are able to identify and remove the more accessible beetle eggs from the hive. However, when eggs are lain in cracks in the hive where bees cannot reach, the bees cannot remove the eggs and the larvae can freely develop. Daniele Olivotti Larvae cause enormous damage to the © FAO/ hives, digging tunnels among the cells of the Figure 3: Adult of Aethina tumida (Figure 5, 6 and 7) to feed on pollen, honey and bee brood. They defecate on honey and on the combs. The combs becomes slimy and acquire a characteristic smell of rotten oranges. The fermented smell is a typical sign of infestation by the beetle. A high number of SHB larvae in the hives can totally destroy the combs. They may also cause the colony to swarm. At the end of their development, the mature larvae are concentrated at the bottom of the hive, they leave the hive through the hive entrance, or any other opening in the hive and drop on the ground. Larvae then penetrate into the soil 5 to 60 cm deep for metamorphosing. The development of the James D. Ellis James D. SHB is strongly influenced by the type of soil in which the larvae will pupate: too hard © FAO/ © FAO/ or too muddy soils greatly reduce the birth 2. The life cycle of the SHB rate of adults. This is why the SHB prefers Adult beetles can penetrate in hives through sandy soils for pupation. The period spent the entrance or cracks; they are excellent in the soil is usually three to four weeks fliers, even though accurate estimates of (with variations from two to eight weeks, speed and maximum possible distance are depending on the temperature and the soil

2/6 properties). Pupation is a stage characterised Figure 6: Damage caused by Aethina tumida (SHB) larvae in by high mortality because the SHB is very the brood combs vulnerable. Pupae (Figure 4), initially pearly- coloured, become light-brown and then brown-bluish (nymphs). The majority of the adult beetles emerge after three to four weeks and promptly fly in the hives to feed. Although the SHB prefers colonies of Apoidea (mainly colonies, but also bumble bees and stingless bees), it has been observed in experimental conditions that it can also complete its life cycle on fruit (e.g. melons, peaches, etc.), wood, vegetables or other organic materials. Figure 4: Aethina tumida © FAO/ Jeffrey W. Lotz © FAO/ Lyle J. Buss

Figure 7: Damage caused by Galleria mellonella (waxmoth) in a comb Figure 5: Damage caused by Aethina tumida (SHB) larvae in honey combs © FAO/ Mark Dykes © FAO/ Elsa Demoulin

3/6 3. SHB’s behaviour in the hive 4. SHB effects The SHB can adopt attitudes of attack, The SHB can spread very rapidly flying from defence (“turtle position”) or it can fool the to apiary but also through the trade of bees by antennal contacts asking for transfer bee packages, artificial swarms, queen bees, of food by trophallaxis (bees behaviour raw wax and beekeeping materials. Typically consisting on sharing collected among SHB infestation leads to death of weak worker bees by mouth-to-mouth). This colonies already affected by other diseases means that the bees will actually feed honey (such as Varroa). The presence of SHB in the to the SHB. Bees can ignore the parasites, hive can also cause . In addition, as can try to move them away from the hive the SHB larvae are feacating on the honey, or try to confine them in small spaces into they compromise the quality of the honey. the nest closed with propolis (as a kind of The SHB can also cause considerable damage prison). In case of massive presence of the on stored unextracted honey combs in parasite, the flight activity of bee colonies warehouses and honeyhouses. is reduced with a subsequent impact on the Adult SHB can survive several days without productivity. Weakest colonies are at greater food so it can be easily introduced, even risk of massive infestation, while stronger accidentally, in a SHB- free country through ones are able to ward off the larval forms of international trade. The SHB represents a SHB by removing the beetle larvae and eggs strong threat to the environment and to the from the hive, or containing the adults. economy of beekeeping. The damages to Factors conditioning the damage of the the bee colonies and the stored honey are parasite to the : caused by the adult beetles but especially by • environmental factors, especially the larval forms. temperature (development of any stage of Super storage is a stage during which SHB stops below 10 °C and temperatures and honey are particularly over 35 °C cause high mortality of all SHB exposed to SHB because it finds the ideal life stages) and rainfall (the soil moisture conditions of development (temperature, should be above 5 percent for pupation of humidity and availability of food) and there SHB); are no adult bees that may prevent the • genetics and behaviour of bees (the infestation. species and race of the bees) affects the At this level the excrements of larvae can number of beetle cycles. SHB is not a cause honey alterations (such as unpleasant Apis serious threat to the African bees ( odours and flavours) and fermentation, until mellifera Apis mellifera capensis and honey becomes no longer suitable for human scutellata ) because they can defend consumption. themselves very well from the parasite by adopting different behavioural strategies, 5. Control of the SHB such as being more efficient fighting Control methods that can be applied against and trapping the beetles. Unfortunately, SHB: European bees do not show the same • keep only strong colonies in the apiary; aggressiveness against SHB. • adopt traps to control and monitor the parasite inside the hives;

4/6 • achieve good hygiene practices during 9. keep temperature inside the and at the apiary level as house or in the storage areas below follows: 15 °C to kill the eggs (48 to 72 hour) and 1. use of : this will prevent 10 °C to kill all the parasite’s life stages; the presence of brood in the frames of and the supers and will reduce the attraction 10. fluorescent light sources positioned of SHB; on the floor of the extraction room 2. hygienic storage of honeycombs overnight, attract the SHB larvae. In and supers during winter in clean this way they may be collected and warehouses, preventing the access and destroyed by putting them in alcohol or reproduction of SHB; detergent solution. 3. honey supers must be extracted as The combination of different control soon as possible after their collection strategies seems the best solution to from the hives in order to prevent SHB apply. The first strategy should be to install colonisation and damage; mechanical traps or biological control 4. the stored honeycombs must be methods and only subsequently chemical regularly checked in order to reveal any control methods (i.e. when the population of signs of infestation; beetles threats the survival of the colony). 5. freeze the honeycombs reaching at least -1 °C for one hour in every part of the Regulations restricting the importation of comb or apply sulphur dioxide on empty bees are the main defences against the combs to kill the parasite; introduction of SHB in SHB-free countries. It 6. it is important to observe good hygiene is essential that all adhere to this rules in the honey extraction rooms rule to ensure the effective prevention of the in order to not leave organic material SHB introduction in SHB-free areas. available to the parasite (such as comb 6. Further reading pieces, wax or honey); • Annand, N. 2011. Investigations of small 7. do not leave combs or wax (cappings) hive beetle biology to develop better around the apiary because they may control options (MSc thesis, contain SHB eggs; • University of Western Sydney, Australia). 8. ensure that the relative humidity is • IZSLT. 2007. “Aspetti igienico-sanitari in < 50 percent (optimum of relative apicoltura” (22-26). humidity is < 34 percent to allow • EFSA. 2015. Panel on Health 100 percent of egg mortality) in the and Welfare (AHAW), Survival, spread areas where the honey is stored: this and establishment of thesmall hive will prevent the egg-hatching of the beetle (Aethina tumida). EFSA Journal parasite and avoid damages such as 2015;13(12):4328. doi:10.2903/j. fermentation caused by the SHB larvae efsa.2015.4328 to honey. This result may be achieved by • Neumann, P., Pettis, J. S., & Schäfer, M. performing an appropriate re‑circulation O. 2016. Quo vadis Aethina tumida? of air using a fan and a dehumidifier. Biology and control of small hive beetles. Finally, place supers in stacks on pallets Apidologie, (1-40). and not directly on the ground;

5/6 7. Related/associated technologies 8. Objectives fulfilled by the project • Good beekeeping practices: 8409. • Resource use efficiency • Main diseases of honey bees: 8412. • Pro-poor technology • Nosemosis: 8413. • Varroa mites (varroatosis or varroosis): 8416. • AFB (): 8417. • EFB (european foulbrood): 8418. • Bee Viruses: 8419. • Tropilaelaps: 10021.

TECA TECHNOLOGIES and PRACTICES for SMALL AGRICULTURAL 6/6 PRODUCERS