A grounded synthesis of representative open-access papers on the small hive beetle. Every claim is traceable to a cited study; curated overview, not exhaustive.
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The small hive beetle (SHB), Aethina tumida, is an invasive nitidulid beetle native to sub-Saharan Africa that has spread globally and become a significant pest of Apis mellifera. Its larvae feed on honey, pollen and brood inside the hive; heavy infestations ferment and "slime" the combs, can cause bees to abscond, and may collapse the colony (Cornelissen 2020).
The beetle's life cycle is the key to controlling it: wandering larvae leave the hive to pupate in the soil around the apiary. This soil stage is the most accessible target for control — entomopathogenic nematodes applied to soil can kill pupating larvae and reduce emergence, offering a biological alternative to in-hive chemicals (Sanchez 2021; Aryal 2025).
SHB locates hives using volatile cues, and adult beetles are strongly attracted to hive products and to a yeast (Kodamaea ohmeri) that ferments pollen — a relationship exploited in lures and in-hive traps (Hayes 2015; Torto 2007). Understanding these attractants underpins monitoring and trap-based management (Torto 2007).
Colony strength and bee behaviour influence outcomes: comparisons of bee stocks found differences in susceptibility, with some lines better at limiting beetle invasion and reproduction (Frake 2009). Genomic work has catalogued candidate insecticide target sites in the beetle, informing future control chemistry (Rinkevich 2020).
The small hive beetle is managed most sustainably by combining strong colonies, in-hive trapping guided by its chemical ecology, and soil treatment of the vulnerable pupal stage. As an invasive species it is also a biosecurity concern wherever it has not yet established.
Cornelissen et al., Journal of Economic Entomology 2020 · 3 citations — The damaging biology and the soil pupation stage.
Sanchez et al., Journal of Nematology 2021 · 5 citations — Biological control targeting the soil-dwelling stage.
Hayes et al., Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 2015 · 8 citations — Chemical ecology behind lures and traps.
Nolan & Delaplane, Journal of Apicultural Research 2008 · 2 citations — In-hive trap lures using pollen substitute and yeast.
Rinkevich et al., BMC Genomics 2020 · 5 citations — Genomic basis for future control chemistry.
Curated synthesis of representative and most-cited studies — not exhaustive. Explore via search. Related: Pests overview.