Hi Troy, James and All
 
I have just made a trip accross to our library  (not far actually)
and have had a scratch around for some preliminary bits and pieces
about the hive beetles. Lundies original paper describing it is at
present being repacked due to the amalgamation of one of our
satellite libraries but once I find it I will type it out if
possible.
 
This is what two other old books have to say.
 
Frank Mays book, 'Beekeeping, including Honey for Health' 1969 says
the following.
 
The Small Hive Beetles (Aethina tumida Murr.), so called to
distinguish it from the larger and harmless beetles (Hyplostoma
fuligineus) which is often found in beehives in South Africa, appears
everywhere in all parts in the tropical and sub-tropical regions of
africa. In SA the insect appears more commonly in the warm regions.
Andrew Murray gave this beetles a name in 1867, but it was Dr AE
Lundie, an SA entomologist, who in 1940 wrote the first treatise
about the beetlee as a bee plague. Like wax moths the larvae of the
hive beetle mostly causes trouble in weak colonies and in stored
combs, but the plague is reallyn not serious.
 
Although some of the beetles are light brown when they crepp out of
the ground most of them are blakc by the third day. These insects
generally fly withing the first week of their lives to the beehive.
They are found in any place in the hive, but they have a preference
mainly for the back part of the floor of the hive. Perhaps this is
because they are less distrubed by the filed bees. The female beetles
lays her eggs in regular small heaps in or upon the bee-bread in the
combs or in the cells nearby. (Interjection - I recall somebody
mentioned on the list that they saw something like this??) The eggs
are pearly white, archshaped abd look almost like those of the honey
bees, but are somehwat smaller - about two thirds as large. They
hatch out within two or three days. Within ten to sixteen days the
larvae are full grown and they migrate to small holes in the ground.
If the hive is much infected the migratory hordes trails stain the
hive badly. Withing three to four weeks the adult beetles appear.
 
The larvae cannot live only on pure honey but also on bee bread, or
pollen and honey. The honey on which the larvae gorge becomes thinner
and begins to ferment and smalls almost like wrotten oranges. As the
fermentation advances the foaming honey drips upon the hive-floor and
if the plague is very severe it runs out through the hive entrance.
 
If the entrance of the hive becomes blocked or the hive slopes
slightly towards the back the fermenting masss forms a layer an inch
or more thick on the floor. The larvae in this case become so smeared
with fermented honey honey that they looked slimy abd revolting and
stain everything over which they crawl.
 
Severly polluted combs which were stored can also be treated with
carbon bisulphide (that must stink!!) or paradichlorobenzene - in the
same way as for wax moths. Inspect the combs every three weeks. Combs
which are slightly infected can be given to strong colonies so that
the bees can clean them. Never give them more than two such combs per
colony. If the combs are badly infected they must first be cleaned
with water under pressure- a garden hose (this would I geuss be only
good for old combs - Garth) before being given to colonies for
cleaning. It rarely happens that the bees succed in completely
ridding a hive of beetles but they are highly successful in removing
the larvae from the combs.
 
According to Dr Lundie the small hive beetle reacts more quickly to
carbolic acid fumes than the bees. They rush out of every opening and
creavice in the hive when sensing the acid fumes and can then be
killed. This is the only known way of killing them. (at the time - G)
 
 
End of quote
 
That is all that the book had to say. Will scratch around in SABJ a
bit and some other books I have at home as well.
 
 
Hope that helps
 
Keep well
 
Garth
 
Garth Cambray           Camdini Apiaries
Grahamstown             Apis mellifera capensis
Eastern Cape Prov.
South Africa
 
Time = Honey
 
After careful consideration, I have decided that if I am ever a V.I.P
the I. may not stand for important.
(rather influential, ignorant, idiotic, intelectual, illadvised etc)