Bioconversion of honey bee colony waste by small hive beetle (Aethina tumida) larvae and the nutritional composition of larvae and frass

Authors: Posada-Florez, Francisco; STEWARD, JAYDEN - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA); LOAIZA, EMYLIA - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA); Cook, Steven

Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/1/2025
Publication Date: 9/22/2025
Citation: Posada-Florez, F.J., Steward, J.C., Loaiza, E.L., Cook, S.C. 2025. Bioconversion of honey bee colony waste by small hive beetle (Aethina tumida) larvae and the nutritional composition of larvae and frass. Journal of Economic Entomology. 118(6):2741-2748. https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toaf220.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toaf220

Interpretive Summary: The small hive beetle (SHB) is a cosmopolitan pest of honey bees, but may have a use for beekeepers. Under certain conditions and times of the year, honey bees may collect excess pollen that is stored in cells of comb frames. This pollen restricts the space that can be used for honey storage or brood production. Moreover, the pollen can become moldy and may impart a health issue to resident honey bees. Beekeepers must clean or discard these frames, imparting an economic drain. In this study, we developed a method using SHB larvae to clean frames of the excess pollen so the frames may be returned to honey bee colonies for their use. In addition, we analyzed the nutrient content of the SHB larvae and their frass to determine whether larvae and frass can be used as animal feed and biomanure. SHB effectively cleaned frames of excess stored pollen. SHB larvae are efficient at converting stored pollen into larval biomass and frass. Using a honey bee pest to save beekeepers time and money is a novel approach to keeping the U.S. beekeeping industry economically solvent.

Technical Abstract: A global demand for high protein animal feed and fertilizer for crops continues to grow, and insects are an increasingly important alternative to conventional sources due to their reduced ecological and economic impacts. The small hive beetle, Aethina tumida (Murray) (SHB) is a considerable cosmopolitan pest of Apis mellifera honey bees but may be a useful contributor to circular economies. SHB larvae are omnivorous, consuming pollen, honey, and honey bee brood. When matured, SHB larvae exit the hive to pupate in the soil, leaving their frass and other detritus behind. Here we present a method for rearing SHB larvae on excess stored pollen from honey bee colonies, calculate the bioconversion of the food source to larvae, and report results from analyses of their nutritional content. Larvae showed a nearly 27% feed conversion efficiency, which is comparable or higher than that of other edible insect species. Larvae contained ~25% of each protein and fatty acids and were low in total carbohydrates (~3%) and sugars (<0.4%). Applied at a kg/ha rate, SHB larvae frass contained the highest nitrogen content compared to that of other edible insect taxa, but was low in some other elements, such as iron. Given these data, the relatively innocuous larval diet, the ‘self-harvesting’ behavior of the mature larvae, and the easily collected dry SHB frass, SHB larvae may be a valuable source of animal feed and biomanure. Frames of unused pollen may collect microbial contaminants, which may impose health issues for exposed honey bees. Removal of excess moldy pollen by SHB larvae may ameliorate these issues.