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These beetles should not be confused with the 'green mint beetle' (or Chrysolina herbacea), as it is greener in appearance (emerald green, [4]) and slightly larger in size, [2] as C. herbacea measures 7–11 mm in length. [7] C. herbacea and Chrysolina graminis (tansy beetle) both have a mixture of fine and coarse punctures on the pronotal disk ...
The small hive beetle was first discovered in the United States in 1996 and has now spread to 27 U.S. states, including Hawaii. An infestation by small hive beetle was triggered in 2015 in British Columbia which led to a temporary quarantine. [11] In Mexico, the small hive beetle has become established in at least eight states.
The beetles' legs and pronotum are the same as their basic colour, [3] and they have antennae. [5] Chrysolina herbacea is large and has a long, oval shape. [6] The adult beetles can be 8–10 mm long and have black-coloured larvae, [4] [7] which also feed on mint leaves. [2] The adults have complete wings, but they only seldom fly. [6]
Scarabiasis, or "beetle-disease", is a condition where beetles temporarily infest the digestive tract of other animals. It can also affect humans, and despite being a rare phenomenon, [1] it is the second most important insectal disease in humans after myiasis, which is caused by the larva of flies. The term is commonly used as a synonym of ...
The lifecycle of this beetle includes pupation in the ground outside of the hive. Controls to prevent ants from climbing into the hive are believed to also be effective against the hive beetle. Several beekeepers are experimenting with the use of diatomaceous earth around the hive as a way to disrupt the beetle's lifecycle. The diatoms abrade ...
Notably, small hive beetles, the unaptly named bee louse (a species of fly), ants, wasps and wax moths such as Galleria mellonella and Achroia grisella cause damage by eating honey directly. Of course, bees themselves also feed honey to their larvae. Western honey bees will rob honey from other hives, as will yellowjacket wasps. [22]
Before the 1980s, most U.S. hobby beekeepers were farmers or relatives of a farmer, lived in rural areas, and kept bees with techniques passed down for generations. The arrivals of tracheal mites and varroa mites in the 1980s and small hive beetles in the 1990s have made the practice more challenging for the hobbyist.
Destruction of honeycombs also results in leakage and wasting of honey. A healthy hive can manage wax moths but weak colonies, unoccupied hives and stored frames can be decimated. [104] Small hive beetle (Aethina tumida) is native to Africa but has now spread to most continents. It is a serious pest among honey bees unadapted to it.