Health alert for the small beehive beetle in Argentina

The small hive beetle, Aethina tumida (PEC) is an exotic pest that represents a threat to national beekeeping. It has been present in the region since 2016, when it was detected for the first time in Brazil, and there have recently been reports of its presence in Bolivia, which warned of the need to maintain constant vigilance against the possibility of entering the country and thus contain its dispersion. . "The PEC could cause severe damage to the hives," warned Natalia Bulacio Cagnolo, specialists in bee health at the Rafaela INTA Proapi Agricultural Experimental Station -Santa Fe-, adding: "Because it is a flying insect, its flight capacity is high and entry into Argentine territory may not only be due to swarms or living material, but also to its natural dispersal capacity.” The PEC is characterized in that it feeds on honey, pollen, bee eggs and larvae. The larval stage of the beetle is the most harmful because it destroys the structures of the panels. "In its digestive ...