are wax moth getting immune!

Heather · Sep 12, 2016

What an infestation this year. :hairpull:

I have supers of wet comb. And thought I had removes any evidence of wax moth larvae, so then I popped all into a chest freezer as insurance against wax moth. 1 week later I sealed them in poly bags with acetic acid pads.1 week later check to remove pads before metal damage.. Bl****y larvae crawling everywhere. I can hardly breath because of the fumes (mask applied swiftly, but they are alive and well).
Bonfire the lot!! cannot be bothered to struggle with elimination any other way. THEY WILL DIE!

TryingToLetThemBee · Sep 12, 2016

Heather said:
What an infestation this year.
I have supers of wet comb. And thought I had removes any evidence of wax moth larvae, so then I popped all into a chest freezer as insurance against wax moth. 1 week later I sealed them in poly bags with acetic acid pads.1 week later check to remove pads before metal damage.. Bl****y larvae crawling everywhere. I can hardly breath because of the fumes (mask applied swiftly, but they are alive and well).
Bonfire the lot!! cannot be bothered to struggle with elimination any other way. THEY WILL DIE!

Strewth! Given that lot's record, sounds like they'll rise as Phoenixes from the flames. Certainly I am having a heck of a time of it with (greater) wax moth this year.

Eyeman · Sep 12, 2016

Just about to sulphur fume my stacks of wet supers. Not had a any problems so far after 2 initial doses 2 weeks apart.
I used to use Acetic acid as it dealt with nosema as well as the wax moth but much simpler using the sulphur and regular comb change for nosema.

alldigging · Sep 12, 2016

Heather said:
I popped all into a chest freezer as insurance against wax moth. 1 week later I sealed them in poly bags with acetic acid pads.

What temperature does your freezer get to?

TryingToLetThemBee · Sep 12, 2016

alldigging said:
What temperature does your freezer get to?

Was it turned on? :biggrinjester:

Gilberdyke John · Sep 12, 2016

TryingToLetThemBee said:
Was it turned on?

Thats coffee sprayed all over the table :icon_204-2:

Plenty of honey · Sep 12, 2016

I've had similar problems with greater wax moth starting after the harvest, before the supers go back on the hives to be licked clean. These were supers store in a sealed and bee proof workshop!! The only bonus is you can pull out the bundle of silk type thread, frasch and the caterpillars with your fingers. With greater wax moth i find their easier to see initially as the infestation starts. I tend too use physical control, or cut out the frame if its bad, them give a spray of bascilius thrugiensis to control any more. Seems to work a treat! I dont favour sulphur treatment as it kills the pollen mites that get rid of any pollen in the frames over the winter.,

tonyofarr · Sep 12, 2016

The sulphur does work really well to stop the blighters in their tracks, but I have always found acetic acid works against them. I think 2 warm winters has not helped, but I thought a week in a freezer was supposed to kill the eggs.

Plenty of honey · Sep 12, 2016

tonyofarr said:
The sulphur does work really well to stop the blighters in their tracks, but I have always found acetic acid works against them. I think 2 warm winters has not helped, but I thought a week in a freezer was supposed to kill the eggs.

Yes i was under that impression, Mike Palmer has a video of Lesser wax moth larvae at his Apiaries in Vermont that survived minus 2o F So I wonder if that really is the best control these days!!

https://youtu.be/0TU5ZvZcJhA

REDWOOD · Sep 12, 2016

Has anyone tried running a flame over the frames very quickly as to not melt the wax but do some damage to the larvae

TryingToLetThemBee · Sep 12, 2016

Heather said:
What an infestation this year.

Plenty of honey said:
I've had similar problems with greater wax moth starting after the harvest, before the supers go back on the hives to be licked clean.

THANK YOU @Heather for starting this and @Plenty\ of\ honey for this post. I freaked at work until I could get home (similar situation; wet supers upstairs) and sure enough an unfolding disaster. Hopefully caught before too much damage done. I might have noticed this weekend but might not... Yuk they are horrible this year.

alfazer · Sep 12, 2016

I've had problems this year more than previous years even following sulphur and acetic acid.
I'm going to try storing them under cover but out in the fresh air and daylight, under the roof of my woodshed. I hear that can work but it's my first winter to try it.
But I'm also using some in a super under the brood box and then bring them up above the QE early April.

beeno · Sep 13, 2016

Reinfection is going to be a huge problem this year with the Indian summer we are having, plus the fact that wax moth population have had two mild winters to strengthen. At the temperatures we are having at the moment eggs will hatch in 3-5 days and one wax moth lays from 300-600 eggs in a couple of days!

Apiarisnt · Sep 13, 2016

Carbon dioxide for wax moths

Try searching online for Donahaye, Navarro 1998 'Sensitivity of the Greater Wax moth Galleria mellonella to carbon dioxide enriched modified atmospheres' ( the forum will not let me upload my copy)

I think some beeks in the US have experimented with this.

TryingToLetThemBee · Sep 13, 2016

How are people who are having trouble with acetic acid applying it? There are some dodgy ways out there on the web.

Tindog · Sep 13, 2016

Hi Heather,
Interesting.
Out our local BBKA meeting last week the topic of wax moth came up, specifically relating to storage of supers and brood frames over the winter period. Albeit and old fashioned remedy, we were told that the common mugwort plant, a common enough site on road side verges works well as a deterrent. Apparently the wax moth don't like the smell of it and some of the old timers store a branch of it between each box. No scientific proof but we were assured that it works.
I guess someone else will be along in a minute to say it's rubbish, but I am only repeating what we were told by an old time Beek.
Andy

For want of a better word · Sep 13, 2016

Spiders... BIG hairy ones
I catch them all year long and put them in my supers shed
Them spiders they eat wax moth!

Nos da

Plenty of honey · Sep 14, 2016

Tindog said:
Hi Heather,
Interesting.
Out our local BBKA meeting last week the topic of wax moth came up, specifically relating to storage of supers and brood frames over the winter period. Albeit and old fashioned remedy, we were told that the common mugwort plant, a common enough site on road side verges works well as a deterrent. Apparently the wax moth don't like the smell of it and some of the old timers store a branch of it between each box. No scientific proof but we were assured that it works.
I guess someone else will be along in a minute to say it's rubbish, but I am only repeating what we were told by an old time Beek.
Andy

Ive come to the conclusion that there is probably lots of treatments and preparations that work well but they have been lost in the mists of time! never dismiss anything!! Worth a try!! Ive just grown a load of common Tansy for my smoker, they say its good. never say never!! thank god for matchsticks and Fairy dust I say!!

deanrpwaacs · Sep 15, 2016

Can i store supers on an open mesh floor . Entrance blocked of course .

jenkinsbrynmair · Sep 15, 2016

deanrpwaacs said:
Can i store supers on an open mesh floor . Entrance blocked of course .

you're better off getting a piece of plain 18x18" piece of plywood, or even correx and cinching them up tight.

are wax moth getting immune!

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