Small hive beetle and wax moth monitoring (extension-verified signs, no DIY chemical) — apiary / national.

How this work is done

A documented method, so this packet comes out the same whoever does it.

Bring

• Corrugated cardboard (paper removed from one side) or corrugated plastic strips for the bottom board
• Hive tool and smoker for a normal inspection
• Bright sunlight and the hive's own outer cover, for the sunlit-lid detection method
• A jar or vial to hold a specimen for the state apiarist or Cooperative Extension
• A notebook or phone to log findings by date

Steps

1. 1. Place a corrugated cardboard or plastic strip (paper removed from one side) on the bottom board at the rear of the hive before a normal inspection, and check it on a later visit for beetles sheltering in the corrugations.
2. 2. During a normal inspection, watch for adult beetles running across the top bars, the underside of the outer cover, or the inner cover, and pursued by worker bees.
3. 3. To check the top super specifically, set the outer cover upside down in a sunny spot, place the top hive body onto it, continue inspecting the rest of the hive for about 10 minutes, then lift the body and check the cover for beetles that retreated from the light.
4. 4. Inspect comb surfaces for a slimy or glistening appearance and a fermented, sour ('decaying oranges') odor -- both are positive small hive beetle signs.
5. 5. Inspect comb surfaces and edges for silk webbing, tunneling, and frass -- signs of wax moth activity, distinct from the slimy appearance small hive beetle larvae cause.
6. 6. If larvae are found, identify them by leg count and body form: small hive beetle larvae have three pairs of well-developed front legs and numerous dorsal spines and cluster together; wax moth larvae have the same three front leg pairs plus four smaller posterior prolegs, no spines, and scatter throughout the hive.
7. 7. Log the date and findings, and route any suspected infestation -- especially with brood damage or an uncertain larval identification -- to the state apiarist or a local Cooperative Extension office, bringing a specimen in alcohol if requested.
8. 8. Never apply a pesticide, miticide, or soil drench based on this inspection alone; any chemical control decision follows the product's current label and the state apiarist's or Cooperative Extension's guidance.

What counts as done

• Bottom-board trap strips or the sunlit-lid method checked for adult small hive beetles
• Comb surface checked for a slimy/glistening appearance (SHB) or webbing and tunneling (wax moth)
• Any larvae found identified by leg count, presence of prolegs, and presence or absence of dorsal spines, per extension guidance
• A fermented or sour ('decaying oranges') odor noted if present, as a positive SHB sign
• Any suspected infestation, especially with brood damage, routed to the state apiarist or a local Cooperative Extension office by name
• No pesticide, miticide, or soil drench applied by the keeper based on this packet alone

Proof is measured against these, not judged by taste.