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)