CONTROL OF A COMMERCIAL HONEYBEE PEST, THE SMALL HIVE BEETLE (AETHINA TUMIDA MURRAY): INSECT GROWTH REGULATORS AND BEETLE DISPERSAL

Abstract

The invasive small hive beetle (SHB) poses a threat to honeybee hives throughout much of the United States and several other countries. Due to their specificity in targeting insect reproduction and metamorphosis, insect growth regulators (IGRs) provide an avenue of research to control for SHB. In this study, I compared the effects of two IGRs, azadirachtin and hydroprene, on SHB larval mortality and metamorphosis, as well as on adult mortality and fecundity. Azadirachtin adequately controlled for larvae, inducing mortality in 100% of juvenile individuals at the 100 ppm concentration. In adult beetles, azadirachtin at all tested concentrations killed all individuals. There were no significant effects of hydroprene on larval survival, adult mortality, or adult fecundity at concentrations up to 300 ppm, although adult emergence was significantly impaired in all. three larval hydroprene treatments. Mark-recapture trials did not provide sufficient data from which to analyze SHB dispersal.