The wax cappings of stored honey are eaten off, and the beetle larvae defecate in the honey making it unattractive to the bees. As an infestation develops, the honey ferments and bubbles out of the cells. The frothy, brown, fermenting honey oozes to the bottom board and may be found on the hive exterior. The fermenting honey is said to have the odor of decaying oranges. In South Africa, development from egg to adult required 38-81 days, with five generations a year possible during the warmer months.
Females lay eggs in cracks and crevices of the hive.
The eggs are similar in appearance to those of honey bees, except they are about two-thirds as long. They are deposited in irregular masses and hatch in 2 to 3 days. Larvae that feed on honey only do not do as well as those that feed on honey and pollen. Mature larvae leave their host colony and burrow into the ground to pupate. The larvae can become covered with the fermented honey, and as they migrate away, they leave trails of it behind them discoloring the surface over which they crawl.