Guardian Beehive Entrance – Small Hive Beetle Defence

The small hive beetle (Aethina tumida) is a beekeeping pest. It is endemic to sub-Saharan Africa, but has spread to many other locations including North America, Australia and the Philippines. The small hive beetle can be a destructive pest of honey bee colonies, causing damage to comb, stored honey and pollen. If a beetle infestation is sufficiently heavy, they may cause bees to abandon their hives. Its presence can also be a marker in the diagnosis of Colony Collapse Disorder for honey-bees. The beetles can also be a pest of stored combs, and honey (in the comb) awaiting extraction. Beetle larvae may tunnel through combs of honey, feeding and defecating, causing discolouration and fermentation of the honey. This is why significant study and efforts are underway to prevent or at the very least, slow down the detrimental effects of the hive beetle to our honey bee population.

Design
The design of the Guardian is based on the small hive beetles tendency to follow along 90 degree edges. Since they do not expose their soft underside to the bee, they stay close to the edges looking for small cracks and crevices to gain access to the hive. By masking the entrance, the beetles are forced to stay along the edges with the help from bee pressure.

Guardian has been created to aid honey bees in protecting their colonies by masking the bee hive entrance and reducing the number of beetles that would normally be allowed to enter the hive.

Installation instructions: https://youtu.be/2rLTr7DH_kk

Guardian at work: https://youtu.be/oor3xYxxr8Q

Fits 8 frame, 10 frame and Nuc boxes.

Size dimensions: 153mm (L) x 20mm (H) x 32mm (W)