Non-pesticide soil treatments may be used to kill small hive beetles when they are pupating in the soil outside the hive. This is a vulnerable point of the beetles' life cycle -- when mature larvae enter the soil underneath the hive to pupate. Soil conditioning agents may be used to kill the beetles. Muriate of potash, often known as 0600 fertilizer, may act as a dehydrating agent and kill the pupae, similar to boric acid crystals for roach control in urban environments. Muriate of potash is available at farm supply stores.