Updates on the Mobile Divider and Its Use in Calabria Region to Monitor and Control _Aethiina tumida_ Infestation  
[PERSON]  
1 Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana \"M. Aleandria\", 00178 Rome, Italy; [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (C.D.R.); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (A.D.C.); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (G.F.)  
2 Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana \"M.Aleandria\", UOT Toscana Sud--Sena, 53100 Siena, Italy; [EMAIL_ADDRESS]  
3 Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, NRL for Honey Bee Health, 35020 Legnaro, Italy; [EMAIL_ADDRESS]  
4 Correspondence: [EMAIL_ADDRESS]; Tel.: +39-057741352  
[PERSON]  
2 Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana \"M.Aleandria\", UOT Toscana Sud--Sena, 53100 Siena, Italy; naomi.pocci-esterno@izsl.  
beehives under investigation. At the end of the clinical inspection, the divider is removed to check the presence of SHB behind it [9]. The official procedure to examine the hives is effective but time consuming and requires a high demand on the workforce as well as the collaboration of the beekeeper [7; 9]. The mobile divider was already described as a time-saving method [9] that facilitates the detection of SHB by exploiting one of the beetle's natural behavior of escaping light [1].  
In short, it provides a dark space unreachable by honey bees in which _A. tumida_ hides from bee attacks and sunlight entering during hive inspections.  
The mobile divider can be used in all types of hives by adapting its size to the internal dimensions of the different types of hives. It can also be installed by inexperienced beekeepers and does not require the use of any chemical compound preventing any risk of residues in bee products.  
In Calabria, the local beekeepers' association (FAI Calabria) modified the original structure of the divider by coating both sides with aluminum foil. This should increase the reflection of light inside the hive and thus ease the detection of SHB while creating darker conditions behind the divider (Table 1).  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**MATERIALALS**} & The reference material is Dibond®, the original aluminum composite sheet, comprising two 0.3 mm thick \\  & aluminum cover layers and a polyethylene or mineral core. Beekeepers constructed the divider using a PVC sheet coated by aluminum layers on both sides (Figure 1). One side is opaque and it is used for detecting adult beetles, while the other is reflecting and is used to ease monitoring the hive’s bottom. The mobile divider does not increase the in-hive temperature and remains unaltered over a long time. \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**SIZE**} & The mobile divider thickness is few millimeters; it occupies little space and does not require any modification of the internal structure of the hive. Its size is 440 \(\times\) 350 \(\times\) 2 mm according to a Dadant Blatt hive, which is the standard beehive in Italy. However, the size of the mobile divider can be easily adapted to any type of hive. \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**SHAPE**} & The shape of the mobile divider is identical to a frame but wider than it since it needs to fit to the sides of the hive. \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**COSTS**} & The final price is about EUR 5.00. \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**POSITIONING**} & The bottom side of the divider remains 2 cm far from the hive floor. This allows the honey bees to access the space below the divider to clean and remove _A. tumida_ eggs or larvae if present. \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table}
Table 1: Modifications of the original structure of the mobile divider [9] carried out by beekeepers in Calabria region.  
Figure 1: The mobile divider is composed of a PVC sheet coated by two aluminum layers.