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Small hive beetle

Aethina tumida

Severity : Critical NotifiableWarm season; pupates in the soilReview in progress
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Key points

  • An invasive beetle from sub-Saharan Africa, present in southern Italy since 2014.
  • Its larvae eat brood, pollen and honey, which ferments and runs.
  • A notifiable pest: report any suspicion immediately.
  • Never move equipment or colonies if in doubt.

The small hive beetle is a feared invasive pest. Native to sub-Saharan Africa, it has become established in the United States, in Australia and, in Europe, in southern Italy since 2014. Everywhere else, the challenge is early detection.

Identification

Adult. A 5 to 7 mm beetle, reddish-brown to black, oval and flattened, with club-shaped antennae. Very mobile, it avoids light and hides in the corners of the hive.

Larva. Creamy white, up to about 1 cm, with three pairs of legs at the front and rows of spines along the back.

Photo needed — Adult Aethina tumida next to a bee for scale, or a larva on a comb. Use an openly licensed image until a case is observed.

Do not confuse with wax moth

Wax moth larvae have many prolegs along the body, spin silk and dig webbed tunnels. Aethina larvae only have three pairs of legs at the front, carry spines and spin no silk1.

Damage

Larvae eat brood, pollen and honey. Their droppings make the honey ferment; it turns slimy, runs out of the cells and smells of rotting oranges. The colony may abscond. Larvae then leave the hive to pupate in the soil1, 3.

What to do if you suspect it

The small hive beetle is notifiable in France and the European Union2, 4.

  1. Keep the specimen in a vial of alcohol or in the freezer.
  2. Report the suspicion immediately to the veterinary authorities.
  3. Do not move any colony, comb or hive product.

Prevention

  • Do not import colonies, queens or equipment from infested areas.
  • Inspect hives regularly, especially corners and the floor.
  • Never leave honey combs or extraction waste accessible.

References

  1. Neumann P., Elzen P.J. (2004). The biology of the small hive beetle (Aethina tumida, Coleoptera: Nitidulidae): gaps in our knowledge of an invasive species. Apidologie 35: 229-247.
  2. WOAH. Terrestrial Manual, chapter 3.2.5: Infestation with Aethina tumida (small hive beetle).
  3. Neumann P. et al. (2013). Standard methods for small hive beetle research. The COLOSS BEEBOOK, Vol. II. Journal of Apicultural Research 52(4).
  4. Apiculture 69. Regulatory reminder: apiary declaration and regulated diseases (article D223-21 of the French Rural Code), in French. apiculture69.fr

Updated : October 8, 2026
Written by : Apisanitas editorial team
Reviewed by : Review in progress