Two years on, Karnataka beekeepers continue to face threat from small hive beetle

The small hive beetle is a destructive, invasive scavenger that attacks honey bee colonies. It targets the bees themselves, as well as stored honey and pollen. Its threat matters because healthy colonies support beekeeping and pollination. Researchers at the University of Agricultural Sciences Bangalore identified it as a serious pest in Karnataka’s plains.

The beetle reportedly looks like a bedbug, so it is difficult to identify. It lays eggs rapidly and can multiply in a single day, according to a beekeeper quoted in the article. As its numbers rise inside a colony, it damages the bees, honey and colony structure. The attack can end with the destruction of the entire colony.

The problem has doubled in plains-based apiculture farms over two to three years. It currently affects Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Mysuru, Mandya and Chamarajanagar. Researchers and officials are trying to improve trapping and awareness, but the Department of Horticulture says control is difficult because the beetle has adapted to the environment.

Around 800 honey bee colonies were destroyed across four beekeepers’ operations in only 25 days. The recent loss shows how quickly the small hive beetle can spread and damage colonies. It also demonstrates that the outbreak is not a minor problem for Karnataka’s beekeeping industry.

Sunny Burton said that 200 of his colonies were destroyed after he moved his bee boxes to the plains in June-July. Four other farmers had also moved colonies from the hills. Together, their losses reached around 800 colonies. The beetle lays eggs quickly and multiplies in a single day, according to Burton. It attacks colonies and honey.

The article reports that attacks in plains-based apiculture farms have doubled over two to three years. The latest losses have affected beekeepers, pollination and agriculture in the area. Officials are creating awareness and teaching beekeepers about trapping, but they acknowledge that controlling the adapted insect is difficult.

Beekeepers move their bee boxes from the hills to the plains during the rains. Sunny Burton said this is the usual practice, and he moved his colonies in June-July. The article does not explain the biological reason for this movement, but it shows that seasonal relocation is part of local beekeeping. The move placed colonies in areas where beetle attacks are increasing.

Burton reported that 200 of his colonies were destroyed within 25 days after the move. Four other farmers also shifted colonies to the plains, and their combined losses reached around 800 colonies. Researchers say attacks in plains-based apiculture farms have doubled over two to three years. The beetle attacks both managed bees and bees naturally found in forests.

The affected areas include Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Mysuru, Mandya and Chamarajanagar. The beetle has not yet reached Karnataka’s hills, according to UAS-B’s K.T. Vijayakumar. Researchers are warning officials because movement into the hills could threaten coffee plantation pollination.

The small hive beetle was originally found in America. Its arrival in Asia began in China, where it was first recorded on the continent according to the researchers quoted. From there, it reached Bangladesh. The sequence matters because the beetle is invasive and can move across regions before local beekeepers have effective controls.

The article traces its route from Bangladesh to West Bengal, Assam, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It then reached Karnataka and surrounding States. This path is presented as a regional spread, not as a single local outbreak. The beetle attacks bees, colonies, honey and pollen wherever it becomes established.

In Karnataka, researchers say the insect is currently destroying colonies in the plains. Its attacks have doubled in plains-based apiculture farms over two to three years. It has not yet travelled to the hills. UAS-B researchers and horticulture officials are raising awareness and studying trapping, but the beetle has adapted to the environment, making control difficult.

If the small hive beetle reaches Karnataka’s hills, pollination in coffee plantations could be affected. K.T. Vijayakumar alerted the Department of Horticulture because the hills have not yet been reached. The concern matters beyond beekeeping: the beetle already affects pollination and agriculture in areas where colonies have been attacked.

Honey bees and wild bees are both affected, according to Vijayakumar. Beekeepers reported that beetle attacks destroyed colonies and honey, while a beekeeper said the problem had impacted pollination and agriculture locally. Fewer healthy colonies could mean fewer bees available to visit flowers. The article connects that risk specifically to coffee plantations if the beetle spreads uphill.

The wider implications remain a warning rather than a reported hill outbreak. The beetle is currently concentrated in plains areas, including Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Mysuru, Mandya and Chamarajanagar. Beekeepers want the Horticulture Department and National Bee Board to act before, in their words, the entire ecological system collapses.

Beekeepers are using traps or poison bait to prevent small hive beetle attacks. Apoorva B.V., a Bengaluru beekeeper, said he was using these methods. The Department of Horticulture is also creating awareness about the beetle and how to trap it, in coordination with UAS-B. These approaches aim to remove or kill beetles before colonies are destroyed.

The control problem is that honey bees are sensitive to poison bait and other pest-control solutions. If bait affects bees, it could weaken or damage the colonies it is meant to protect. Apoorva said poison bait could not be used indefinitely. The article does not identify a proven, long-term treatment that safely controls the beetle while protecting bees.

Officials say the beetle has adapted to the environment, so controlling it is not currently possible. Researchers at UAS-B are expected to work toward a solution. Until then, beekeepers depend on traps, bait and awareness efforts, even as attacks continue to increase in plains-based farms.

Pollination is the transfer of pollen between flowers, allowing flowering plants to reproduce and produce seeds or fruit. Honey bees matter because they visit flowers while collecting food and can carry pollen between plants. Wild bees also contribute to this process. The article notes that the beetle affects both managed bees and bees naturally found in forests.

When beetles destroy colonies, fewer healthy bees may be available to visit flowers. A beekeeper said the attacks had already impacted pollination and agriculture in the area. Researchers fear that, if the beetle reaches Karnataka’s hills, pollination in coffee plantations could also be affected. This links colony health directly with crop production.

The article presents pollination as an ecological and agricultural concern, not only a beekeeping issue. The beetle currently affects colonies in Karnataka’s plains, while the hills remain untouched. K.T. Vijayakumar has alerted the Department of Horticulture, and beekeepers want action from the Horticulture Department and National Bee Board.