Other insects in beehives...true?

Factual Questions
1

I ran across a strange paragraph in the novel I just finished reading(Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett)
regarding insects. It says:

" Sometimes human beings are very much like bees. Bees are fiercely protective of their hive, provided that you are outside it. Once you’re in, the workers sort of assume that it must have been cleared by management and take no notice; various freeloading insects have evolved a mellifluous existance because of this very fact. Humans act the same way."

Now, I know that a lot of this book is made of whole cloth, so, coupled with the fact that I’ve never heard of this before, it makes me wonder about the validity of the statement. However, I know that certain birds insert their own eggs in other birds nests, so this isn’t an entirely unheard of sort of animal behavior.

So are there insects other than bees who are commonly found in behives?

2

Yeah, like bee mites

3

Oh, and the cuckoo bee

4

Yep, happens all the time. Bees are very sensitive to foreign odors. If an insect or any other critter can somehow acquire the scent of the particular hive, they are often allowed residency. I’ve even had mice overwinter unharmed in hives. I’ve had ants, yellow jackets, moths, and of course the ever-present mites as tenants in common.

5

Yup, you get mites and wax moths in most every hive, but there existance can be attributed to parasatism. The bees don’t know about and can’t do anything about them.

In a weak hive you’ll end up with other residents, like mice, ants, robber bees from other hives, and all kinds of other freeloading critters taking advantage of the bees. In a strong hive they are fairly good at kicking these freeloaders out and you won’t find anything noparasitic.