BEHAVIOR OF AN AFRICAN AND WESTERN HONEY BEE

SUBSPECIES TOWARD THE SMALL HIVE BEETLE,

AETHINA TUMIDA
P.J. Elzen1, J.R. Baxter1, P.Neumann2, A. Solbrig2, C. Pirk2,
H.R. Hepburn2 and D. Westervelt3
1

U.S. Dept. Agric. - Agric. Research Serv.

2413 E. Highway 83, Weslaco, Texas, USA
Tel: 956-969-5012, Fax: 956-969-5033, pelzen@weslaco.ars.usda.gov
2
Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
3
Florida Dept. Agric., Gainesville, Florida, USA
The small hive beetle, Aethina tumida Murray, is a coleopteran beetle species native to subSaharan Africa. In Africa, the small hive beetle is found most often in managed honey bee
colonies, where it usually co-exists with colony bees without economically damaging the health of
the colony. Very little research has been conducted on the small hive beetle in Africa, with the
most detailed information provided by only two reports (Lundie, A.E. 1940, The small hive beetle
Aethina tumida, Sci. Bull. 220, Union South Africa, Dept. Agric. Forestry, 30 pp.; Schmolke, M.D.
1974, Aethina tumida: the small hive beetle, M.S. Thesis, Univ. Rhodesia, 181 p.). These authors
report that this species very rarely overtakes an entire bee colony, subsisting in low numbers by
feeding on honey, pollen, and brood.
In 1998 the small hive beetle was confirmed as a newly introduced species attacking
Western honey bees in the U.S. Its status as a pest in the U.S. was quickly demonstrated to be quite
different from its non-economic status in Africa. Within months of its confirmed discovery,
beekeepers in the southeastern U.S. reported heavy numbers of beetles in their colonies, with
subsequent failure of many bee colonies due to beetle destruction of brood and hive products. In
Florida alone in 1998, over $3 million loss due to the small beetle was estimated to have occurred.
Lundie (1940) reported that African honey bee subspecies exhibited quite apparent
aggressive behavior toward the small hive beetle, attacking larval and adult beetles within the hive.
In contrast, U.S. beekeepers in 1998 did not observe such aggressive behavior by Western honey
bee subspecies toward colony-invading beetles. We therefore initiated studies in South Africa and
the U.S. (Florida) to quantify honey bee subspecies behavior toward adult small hive beetles in a
laboratory assay.
In South Africa, the Cape honey bee was used in the laboratory assay. Adult bees were
collected from managed hives at Grahamstown and placed in small cages with glass sides on the
front and back of each cage. Bees were allowed to settle overnight. One adult small hive beetle
was introduced into each cage and the behavior of the bees was recorded for 15 minutes, as
observed by two individuals on either side of each cage. Control cages consisted of adult bees with
a single black push pin, similar in size to an adult small hive beetle, introduced into cages.
Behavioral categories recorded included ignoring, contacting, and attacking of the beetle or pin
within the 15 minute period. Cages were replicated and the entire experiment was repeated on the
following day. The same assay procedures were used in Florida (USA), with the exception that
honey bees of European descent were used to test behavior toward the beetle or control pin.

Proceedings of the 37th International Apicultural Congress, 28 October 1 November 2001, Durban, South Africa
APIMONDIA 2001
ISBN: 0-620-27768-8
To be referenced as: Proc. 37th Int. Apic. Congr., 28 Oct 1 Nov 2001, Durban, South Africa
Produced by: Document Transformation Technologies
Organised by: Conference Planners

With both bee subspecies, behavior toward the introduced beetle or pin was quite clear. The
Cape honey bee exhibited significantly more instances of contacting and attacking the beetle or pin,
compared to the Western bee subspecies, which exhibited significantly more instances of ignoring
the beetle or pin within the 15 minute observation period. The African subspecies immediately
began attacks upon the beetle or pin, grasping and attempting to sting the introduced object.
Western honey bees exhibited little of this activity, instead spending most of their time in general
undirected movement within the assay cages.
Such comparative lack of aggression of Western honey bees and demonstrated higher
aggression of African honey bees may explain the economic status of the small hive beetle in its
native and introduced ranges. Beekeepers in the U.S. report that they rarely see managed honey
bees aggressively defending the colony against beetle attack, whereas beekeepers in South Africa
commonly observe managed Cape honey bees attacking and isolating small hive beetles when they
occur in bee colonies. It is important to note, however, that the small hive beetle can cause
economic damage in South Africa to honey frames removed from colonies and stored for later
extraction, particularly if any brood is present in frames. This further underscores that the behavior
of the adult bees within the hive may play a significant role in protecting brood and colony
products, which is not the case when frames are removed from the colony and thus without
protection.

BEHAVIOR OF AN AFRICAN AND WESTERN HONEY BEE

SUBSPECIES TOWARD THE SMALL HIVE BEETLE, AETHINA
TUMIDA
P.J. Elzen1, J.R. Baxter1, P.Neumann2, A. Solbrig2, C. Pirk2,
H.R. Hepburn2 and D. Westervelt3
1

U.S. Dept. Agric. - Agric. Research Serv.

2413 E. Highway 83, Weslaco, Texas, USA
Tel: 956-969-5012, Fax: 956-969-5033, pelzen@weslaco.ars.usda.gov
2
Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
3
Florida Dept. Agric., Gainesville, Florida, USA
PATTI J. ELZEN, PH.D
Present Affiliation:
United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service
2413 East Highway 83, Weslaco, Texas, USA
Education:
Bachelor of Science, Entomology, University of Florida, 1982
Master of Science, Entomology, Texas A&M University, 1985
Doctor of Philosophy, Entomology, Louisiana State University, 1992
Professional Interests:
Apiculture, Integrated Pest Management, Toxicology
Current Research:
Pesticide resistance in varroa, new compounds for American foulbrood control, effects of
pesticides on bee behavior, biology of the small hive beetle