Nine projects are planned to study the development of a symbiotic relationship between honey bees and small hive beetles including:

• Examine how honey bees react collectively to various nest invaders
• Determine how honey bees respond individually to nest invaders
• Measure the "turtling" response of test beetle species
• Measure beetle ability to find hiding places once inside a honey bee colony
• Determine whether the test beetle species are able to survive and reproduce on bee colony components
• Determine whether test beetle species are attracted to honey bee hive volatiles
• Investigate morphological features of small hive beetles adults that may contribute to the beetles sucessful integration into the colony
• Determine whether small hive beetles chemically mimic honey bee drones, queens, workers, or larvae
• Determine whether small hive beetles can acquire a colony's odor, thus improving acceptance by the honey bee hosts

Collaborators:

Edward Atkinson, Principle Investigator, PhD student
James D. Ellis, Co-Principle Investigator, Supervisor