Small Hive Beetle

Last week I had some more friends stop by to see the hive.  It's gotten to the point where I invite anyone within earshot, each week.  I love being able to talk about the bees, and I love hearing what people think and answering questions, or considering things that hadn't occurred to me.  Some beekeepers use time with their hives as a sort of meditation, but I happily flip-flop between bee-solace and show-and-tell modes.

At any rate, this particular weekend (8.09.08) was another fraught with impending peril for my bees.  The presence of what I am certain is the Small Hive Beetle.  (SHB).  [In the photo above, you can see the beetles - black, tinier than the bees.  That is not my hive, also.]  The hive beetle is an invasive species now in the United States and having originated from Africa.  It is most prevalent in Southern states, where warmer soil temperatures prevent the beetle larvae from freezing in the ground.  The larvae hatch and move up into the hive, where they tunnel through frames, eat and defecate in the bees' honey, and generally destroy the hive.  If the infestation gets to be too much, the bees will abscond in search of a cleaner, beetle-free home.

Now, how did they get into my hive?? I have no idea.  I had never seen them before, but there was no denying that they were in.  There are two differences from the previous week to this week - between a week without beetles and a week of discovering them - and I am pretty sure I know what happened.  One is that I had propped the outer cover open so that the bees could get ventilation.  I had never done this before, and did so after seeing Andy's hives set up like that.  (I had been concerned about the bearding and thought the heat might have slowed up the bees' production.) Perhaps the beetles were nearby and now had easier access to the inside of the hive.  Secondly - and most likely - was the new addition of a bee brush to my beekeeping process.  Andy had given me one of his brushes, which had been in his garage for months.  I did not own one and he gave it to me, as he had extras.  Andy also had told me about these beetles, which, until then, I had not heard of.  So... were the beetles transferred from his hives to mine via the bee brush?  I have no idea, but it seems more likely than any other thing I can think of, since SHB are not a major crisis in the northeast.

I am hoping that their population will be kept under control by my bees, but I am (as always) fearing the worst.  Today - one week after the initial discovery of the beetles - I noticed a few tunnels on one frame, but saw nothing alarming as far as beetle larvae or fermented honey.

Here's hoping.