Letter

There has been great concern in beekeeping in The Gambia. The Professional Beekeepers Association have a problem which has been reported also in other parts of the country. In some of our hives, especially in top-bar hives, which are used most in The Gambia, we find a lot of black beetles among the combs and the bottom of the hive. In these hives the combs become very dry. So I would like to ask some questions about these beetles:

1. What causes them to be in the hive?

2. Are these beetles harmful to the bees?

3. Can they contaminate the honey?

4. If they are harmful to the bees and honey what are the ways to prevent them?

Thank you Bf D for the good work that you are doing - keep it up.

Musa Gibba, CEO, Professional Beekeepers Association, Brikama, The Gambia

BfD replies

The beetle is the Small Hive Beetle (see image above, top right) Aethina tumida. This occurs in bee colonies across Africa, but does not usually present a significant problem for strong colonies of African honey bees. The Large Hive Beetle (LHB) Hyplostoma fuligineus also occurs naturally here. There are two solutions:

1. Have smaller entrances - this will prevent the LHB from entering the hive.

2. Keep colonies strong enough to be able to cope with any damage caused by the beetles.

Read more in our Information Portal (register to access, free of charge) www.beesfordevelopment.org/portal

Black adult small hive beetles visible among the bees

PHOTOS © MIKE ALLSOPP

The large hive beetle