Answers to SHB Quiz

1. True. The larval stage is the active feeding stage of the SHB life cycle. The grub chews through comb and its excreted wastes cause the honey to ferment. No silk cocoons or webbing is produced.
2. True. Oil based traps are typically placed between the combs or under the base. Oil coats the beetle preventing it from absorbing oxygen from the air.
3. True. Such hives have a declining worker bee population and a lot of stored pollen as the brood area is small. The beetles are attracted to the protein rich pollen and with declining bee numbers the hives are vulnerable.
4. False. Quick? Yes. But safe? No. The fermenting honey may well carry fungal spores that are dangerous to people. Jetting water onto a SHB damaged hive may well spread those spores.
5. False. Diatomaceous earth or lime abrade the outer “skin” layer of the beetle. This allows water to escape and so the beetle desiccates.
6. True. Fipronil is an extremely potent insecticide. It has both a low vapour pressure and low water solubility. This means the risk of chemical contamination of the hive honey is very low. The insecticide will not spread as a vapour and does not easily travel away from its harbourage in any water.
7. True. Apithor and some other chemical traps are designed to be slid via the bee entrance onto the bottom board. Often they have a wire tag to allow them to be removed without pulling the hive apart. A particularly narrow entrance will not allow this to happen.
8. True. SHB can live on decaying fruits but its preference is a bee hive. Food, shelter and warmth are all provided by the bees. Bees have been known to feed SHB larvae.
9. True. Often in early spring, adult SHB can be seen in large numbers in hives but it is the larvae that cause the damage. Danger happens when the numbers of SHB rise and the bees cannot prevent them laying in small spaces in the hive. Then the larvae hatch out and the feeding frenzy happens. High temperatures and humidity provide perfect laying conditions.
10. True. Efforts can be made to prevent the larvae pupating and ultimately forming adult beetles by treating the soil with an insecticide, but a large amount of soil needs to be treated. Permethrin (500 g/L) is often used but it needs an Australian Pesticides & Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) permit and needs to be applied (500gm/L strength) at about 4 L per square metre of ground. SHB can fly large distances and can be seen flying into hives at dusk.
11. False. The SHB larvae pupate outside the hive under the top soil layer.
12. False. Small hive beetle larvae often congregate in corners while wax moth larvae are found scattered throughout weak colonies. Beetle larvae have three pairs of jointed, “true” legs located behind the head. Wax moth larvae have many small, fleshy, uniform legs along the length of the body. The bodies of beetle larvae have tough exteriors while those of wax moth larvae are soft and easily penetrated.
13. True. Freezing will kill eggs and larvae of SHB. Frozen frames, once thawed can be placed onto strong colonies for repair. Judgement is needed as to how many frames can be added to a colony.
14. True. If possible hives on barren hard ground will make it less likely that larvae that leave a hive can burrow into the ground to metamorphise into adults.
15. True. Dipping combs and boxes into soapy water is a quick and safe way of cleaning up after SHB attack. The surplus water can be removed by shaking.