Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay issue alert after Aethina tumida pest detected in Bolivia, Paraguay

The plant defense services of Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay issued an alert against the pest Aethina tumida after detecting this small beetle in the hives of Paraguay a month ago and in Bolivia a few weeks ago, a fact that generated an immediate notification to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH).

After the preventive statement, the SAG (Agricultural and Livestock Service) of Chile announced that it had reinforced measures to prevent and control the pest, appealing to the population to collaborate to prevent the insect from entering the country.

The small hive beetle – also known as PEC – had a rapid movement through the southern cone of Latin America. it was detected in Brazil in 2016, in Colombia in 2018, and in Paraguay and Bolivia in 2022.

Aethina tumida can cause severe damage to the beekeeping sector and the ecosystem, with the loss of hives and the global position that the country maintains in bee health.

The Argentine National Health and Agro-Food Quality Service (Senasa) also announced that it had reinforced border controls with neighboring countries to prevent the entry of goods that may contain the PEC.

″At the same time, it is considered relevant that beekeepers in the provinces at greater risk due to the proximity of the reported outbreaks, inform themselves about the characteristics of this pest, carry out exhaustive inspections in their hives and notify Senasa of any finding compatible with the presence of the pest,″ Senasa indicated.

Aethina tumida is a beetle native to the African continent, which can cause severe damage to bee colonies during its larval stage, destroying the combs, the fermentation of honey, and the consequent depopulation of the affected hives.

(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)