Propolis "corrals' evident under inner covers. When tops removed small hive beetles might be observed before they scamper below into the hive.
Worker bees will wall off (imprison) hive invaders such as small hive beetle (SHB), ants, wax moth and other “critters” with propolis or isolate these pests in cracks and crevices. Bees have been observed to even feed confined SHB adults. Such imprisonment behavior is most frequent with light infestations of SHBs. The propolis “jails” are normally constructed between top bars and Inner/top coves of hive. Opening a colony during inspection will result in disruption of the propolis prisons, leading to the release of the captured SHBs. The released beetles quickly run between frames (they are negatively phototactic –i.e. run away from the light).
propolis; small hive beetles
Hill, Elizabeth 2015. Small Hive Beetle. MAAREC 4.6
Ambrose, John, David Tarpy and Jennifer Keller. 2016. The small hive beetle a pest of honey bees. NC State extension. https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/the-small-hive-beetle-a-pest-of-honey-bee-colonies
Torgerson, Karessa, Carolyn Breece, Ramesh R. Sagili and Dewey M. Caron. 2016. The Small Hive Beetle: A Potential Pest in Honey Bee Colonies in Oregon. Oregon State Extension EM 9143. https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/em9143
