Strategies for detection and monitoring of the small hive beetle (Aethina tumida) in Africanized honeybee colonies in Costa Rica

Abstract

The small hive beetle (SHB), Aethina tumida, is a pest of honeybee (Apis mellifera) colonies. Endemic to sub-Saharan Africa, this pest has been reported in Africanized honeybee (AHB) colonies in North, Central, and South America. Specifically in Central America, it was first found in El Salvador in 2013, in Nicaragua in March 2014, and in Guatemala in August 2020. In Nicaragua, SHB was confirmed in AHB colonies in San Juan del Sur, Department of Rivas, approximately eight kilometers north of the Costa Rican border, which increased the risk of entry to this country. After SHB was confirmed in Nicaragua, a sentinel apiary with four beehives was established close to the border in Santa Cecilia, La Cruz, province of Guanacaste, Costa Rica. In addition, epidemiological surveillance was conducted in the main beekeeping areas in the country (2015-2022) to determine SHB’s possible distribution. Hives were monitored visually by examining all individual honeycombs, hive covers, and bottom boards. Furthermore, training was offered to beekeepers such as workshops and fieldwork, and training materials were distributed such as brochures focused on SHB recognition and identification and methods for colony inspection. SHB was detected and confirmed in the sentinel apiary in August 2015 in La Cruz, Guanacaste, Costa Rica, where only adult beetles were detected inside AHB colonies. To date, in collaboration with trained beekeepers, SHB has been found in different commercial apiaries, mainly in the province of Guanacaste. In conclusion, implementing strategies to detect and monitor SHB, as it spreads to new countries or beekeeping areas, requires implementing sentinel apiaries, developing epidemiological surveillance, and providing training activities for beekeepers, as demonstrated in the case in Costa Rica.