Comparing the efficacy and danger in using fipronil, boric acid, and chlorantraniliprole as a small hive beetle control method in in-hive traps

The Small Hive Beetle (SHB), Aethina tumida, is a small brown beetle that is a parasite to honeybee colonies. The beetle feeds and reproduces on the stored resources of the hive: pollen, honey, nectar, and on the developing honeybee brood. Large SHB infestations can lead to the collapse of the colony or the forced absconsion of the colony. The beetles also carry a yeast that ferments stored honey, causing economic damage to beekeepers. A popular control method for SHB is in-hive traps. These traps are often filled with insecticides and are designed to be sealed shut with entrances too small for a honeybee but large enough for a SHB. For the most part the insecticides used in these traps are easy to access general insecticides, namely fipronil or a boron-based insecticide such as boric acid or borax. As these are general insecticides they can be just as deadly to honeybees as they are to the SHB, hence their design to inhibit honeybee access. An alternative insecticide needs to be made available to beekeepers that is effective and honeybee safe. Chlorantraniliprole is an insecticide that has been used in almond orchards, several row crops, and turf lawn management because of its proven safety to bees. I conducted a study comparing the efficacy of chlorantraniliprole, fipronil, and boric acid to control/kill SHB in in-hive traps, as well as comparing their field relevant colony risk.