Small hive beetles also have a row of paired spines on their back and two distinct spines at the posterior end of their body. Adult female beetles lay their eggs on or near beeswax combs. The eggs hatch in a few days, and the larvae eat pollen, wax, honey, bee eggs, and young bee larvae. The larval stage lasts for 10 to 16 days. They then drop to the ground to pupate in the soil.
Adults emerge from the soil in three to four weeks.
Females are capable of laying eggs approximately one week after emerging from the soil. The Florida Department of Agriculture estimates that 30,000 colonies have been destroyed by the small hive beetles where tropical climate and sandy soils provide beetles with an ideal habitat. Adult beetles and larvae can be detected by a visual inspection as they run across the combs. Another good way to detect them is to remove the corrugations from one side of a 4x4 inch piece of cardboard and place the cardboard, corrugations down, on the bottom board. The beetles appear to seek shelter in the corrugations.