About Aethina tumida

The small hive beetle (Aethina tumida) is a beekeeping pest. It is native to sub-Saharan Africa, but has spread to many other locations, including North America, Australia, and the Philippines.

The small hive beetle 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. Its presence can also be a marker in the diagnosis of colony collapse disorder for honey bees. 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.

Picture credit: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons (Image source) Taxonomy ID 116153

(Text from Wikipedia.)

More information General information about this species can be found in Wikipedia

Taxonomy ID 116153

Data source USDA Ag100Pest Initiative Working Group

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