In the winter issue of Southern Exposure, you’ll find a story about a relatively new pest that has been “bugging” bees in the southeast. The pest, the small hive beetle, is too small for the eye to see, but big enough to bully entire colonies into leaving their nests.
Unlike the varroa mite, which physically attacks the adult bees, the small hive beetle attacks the hive–the beetles attack the brood and eat the honey, causing an odor so foul that the adult bees vacate the hive.
Research at the University of Georgia has revealed a control option for the beetle–a soil nematode that attacks the larvae while they pupate. Repeated tests have shown that the nematodes are at least as effective as the pesticide coumaphos, which beekeepers have been using to manage the beetle.
Dr. Keith Delaplane, who is conducting the research on the beetle, is also exploring management possibilities through hygienic queens and beetle traps.
Read the story at http://www.sripmc.org/successstory/GA_small_hive_beetle.cfm.
Filed under: Insects, Invasive species Tagged: | CCD, colony collapse disorder, honeybees, pollinators, small hive beetle, varroa mite
