Effects of organic acid treatments on small hive beetles, Aethina tumida, and the associated yeast Kodamaea ohmeri

In honeybee, Apis mellifera, colonies infested with larval and adult small hive beetles (SHB), hive material, and in particular honey, tends to ferment, probably due to SHB-associated yeasts such as the predominant Kodamaea ohmeri. Here, we test the effects of organic acids on K. ohmeri and on SHB-infested honey/pollen combs. Organic acids were applied at standard concentrations used by beekeepers to control other pests. In laboratory tests, the growth of K. ohmeri was significantly inhibited by lactic, formic and acetic acids. Treatments of SHB-infested honey/pollen combs (N = 18 colonies) with acetic acid significantly increased mortality of adult SHB and treatments with formic acid significantly reduced larval infestation. Our data suggest that treatment of honeybee colonies and storage rooms with organic acids could also help in reducing SHB damage.