Publication Type

Journal Article

Journal Name

Journal of Insect Science

Publication Date

5-1-2025

Abstract

Recently, an unexpectedly large number of large hive beetles, Oplostomus haroldi (Witte), was observed in Taita Taveta County (TTC), Kenya, suggesting a potential threat to the apicultural industry. This study investigated the influence of colony and hive attributes, landscape characteristics, and seasonality on the occurrence of O. haroldi within beehives in TTC. Field surveys assessed beetle populations alongside colony strength parameters, environmental variables, and hive types using standard protocols. Our findings revealed significant positive correlations between beetle occurrence and colony phenotypes, such as capped brood, pollen, and honey quantities. Higher beetle populations were also observed in areas with tree cover compared to cropland, and seasonal variation was evident, with beetle populations peaking during rainy seasons. Langstroth hives exhibited higher infestation levels due to larger entrance areas than Kenya Top-Bar hives and other locally made hive types, which have smaller entrances. These findings suggest that reducing hive entrance sizes with entrance reducers could be an effective management option to limit hive invasion by the beetle, thereby protecting colony health and enhancing productivity in Taita.

Keywords

colony attributes, hive design, hive predator, honey bee, land-use types

PubMed ID

40536770

Download

Share

COinS
 
 

To view the content in your browser, please download Adobe Reader or, alternately,
you may Download the file to your hard drive.

NOTE: The latest versions of Adobe Reader do not support viewing PDF files within Firefox on Mac OS and if you are using a modern (Intel) Mac, there is no official plugin for viewing PDF files within the browser window.