Exotic Pests and Diseases
The Small Hive Beetle: A New Pest of Honey Bee Colonies
The small hive beetle, Aethina tumida (Order Coleoptera; Family
Nitidulidae), can be a destructive pest of honey bee colonies, causing
damage to comb, stored honey and pollen. If a beetle infestation is
sufficiently heavy, they may cause bees to abandon their hive. The beetles
can also be a pest of stored combs, and honey (in the comb) awaiting
extraction. Beetle larvae may tunnel through combs of honey, feeding and
defecating, causing discoloration and fermentation of the honey.