Honey Bees
Other Pests
Small Hive Beetle
- Adult small hive beetles are oval-shaped and tan to brown black. They resemble a lady bug in size and movement.
- Squash by hand when you see one or use mechanical traps.
Small hive beetles aren’t directly harmful to bees, but they consume and damage comb, stored honey, and pollen. Their larvae leave slime around the hive. Adults are oval, tan to brown-black, and about
5-6mm in length. A couple small hive beetles isn’t unusual in a strong hive. A severe infestation is often secondary to some other problem weakening the colony.
Mechanical traps work well. You can buy a trap or place strips of a chemical-free disposable cloth (like a dry Swiffer sheet) or dryer sheet on top of the frames. The bees attempt to shred and remove the sheet, but ultimately just fluff it up. The small hive beetles get trapped as they crawl through it and die.
Wax Moths
- Adult wax moths are 1.25 - 2cm long, gray-brown, with wings fold up in a tent-like manner. Combs will look like they are covered in cotton.
- Freeze frames or use Para-Moth for prevention. Burn heavily infested frames and boxes.
While not directly harmful to the bees themselves, wax moths wreak havoc to your hives and combs. Wax moths aren’t a concern for strong, active hives. The trouble usually starts after honey extraction when the combs are in storage. Wax moths tunnel through the comb and leave behind silk webs. If you try to give these combs back to your bees the following year, they will try and fail to clean up the mess. It’s best to burn heavily infested frames and boxes (they lay their eggs on the wood).
Luckily there are ways to help prevent wax moths. You can freeze comb for 24 hours to kill any eggs before storage, or you can treat with an insecticide like Para-Moth (which is what I use). You stack your boxes tightly, place 6 Tbsp of Para-Moth on a paper plate, set on the top bars of uppermost super, then cover with a tarp. Just be sure to air out the combs for several days before reintroducing them to your bees.
- Keep insecticides away from children and pets.
Larger Pests
Mice may inhabit active honey bee hives during the fall and winter months. They chew, urinate on, and defecate on frames and comb. You can install a metal mouse guard on the hive entrance in the fall and remove it in the spring.
Small mammals like skunks, opossums, badgers, weasels, and raccoons enjoy eating bees, brood, and honey. Place hives 16+ inches off the ground so that the scavenger exposes their underbelly, giving the bees a better opportunity to sting and defend themselves. After a few stings, they typically cut their losses and leave to hive be.
Livestock, like cattle and horses, can bump and tip a hive. Surround your apiary with strong fencing if this is a concern.
Bears enjoy eating both brood and honey. The bee yard must have a strong fence with a high voltage shock wire before a bear ever gets a taste of what’s inside. Once a bear accesses your hives, they become relentless. The only recourse is to move your hives.
