»Hive beetle management«
Hive beetles are one of the problems associated with bee keeping and these affect the productivity of the bee hives if not managed.
Hive beetles are attracted to the bee hives due to the smell of honey pollen and the brood in the hive. The beetles can fly a distance of 9 miles to find a hive and when they reach the hive, they enter and hide in cracks and crevices, and under propolis.
Hive beetle biology
An adult beetle reaches sexual maturity at 7 days of age and will mate inside the hive. A female beetle can lay between 1000 to 2000 eggs in its life time.
These beetles can lay between 10 to 30 eggs in the hive brood, honey frames, pollen frames, cracks and crevices. The eggs take an additional 1 to 6 days for the larvae to emerge.
The larva is the most destructive stage and it bores holes into your combs, honey frames, and they will eat the brood, honey and pollen in the hive.
The beetles release a yeast that makes honey ferment over a period of time. This makes the bees swarm or abscond. After 6 to 10 days, the larvae will exit the have and pupate into the soil.
Management
Put your hive in direct sunlight because beetles prefer cool dump environment.
You can make a beetle trap using a Compact disc case in which honey is put to attract the beetles and the beetles are removed and killed during hive inspection.
You can use a bottom board on which prevents the larvae to get into the soil where it pupates.
