are wax moth getting immune!

[Heather]

I have gone through my treated and stored supers and a couple of brood boxes.
Eradicated the last of the larvae which had slipped through the net. Refreezing a couple of suspect boxes... Hopefully all ok for winter now.. but still mild down South. Need a frost.
Bees still out in force, ivy nearly finished, and some hives too light for my peace of mind. Why can we never relax! It will be cleaning and frame making soon... Thought I had retired

 

[Fusion_power]

Use some of them for fish bait!

Freezing is highly effective so long as they are left in the freezer for at least 7 days.

Store them in a greenhouse and let the temperature get up to 125 degrees for a few days.

Stack the supers standing on end in bright light. Wax moths are very reluctant to lay eggs in light.

Spray them with Bacillus Xentari, get the Xentari, it is much better than the ordinary garden dust. Mix the Xentari powder with water and thoroughly dissolve it at a rate of 5 level tablespoons in a gallon of water. Put it in a cheap sprayer and spray the combs with a thin mist. It is harmless to bees but totally wipes out wax moths.

I had the worst outbreak of wax moths this year that I've ever seen. It was likely caused by a beekeeper in the area who let a bunch of colonies collapse. The porch overhang behind my house covers an area about 10' by 10'. I went out about 10:00 pm a few weeks ago and saw the wall and ceiling covered in a throbbing mass of wax moths. I can't begin to estimate how many, but it would have been in the tens of thousands. It was not just me, several other beekeepers in the area reported the same thing.

 

[REDWOOD]

Not sure if moths are getting immune but they will adapt, it has been reported that moths are becoming lighter in colour as part of their defence to blend in to the environment as populated areas are becoming cleaner.

Some say it is evolution, DNA mutation

Anyone know the colour of native honey bees before the industrial revolution.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Not sure if moths are getting immune but they will adapt

Be interesting to see how well beekeepers that have problems now with wax moths adapt when small hive beetle arrives.

 

[REDWOOD]

Be interesting to see how well beekeepers that have problems now with wax moths adapt when small hive beetle arrives.

It will probably be more like this little man

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

someone will probably think a hoover will do the trick!!

 

[Plenty of honey]

Be interesting to see how well beekeepers that have problems now with wax moths adapt when small hive beetle arrives.

I wonder if the bascillus thurgiensis would work on the larvae of the shb.
I can't see why not!! I wonder if anyone has trailed it. Although it's off topic, I am sure Fusion Power could answer ??
It would be a useful tool. When the shb larvae leave the hive as larvae or come in to contact with the bascillus, could this be a possibility?
It certainly works on wax moth larvae but don't know if it extends to beetle larvae???

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I believe nematodes are being trialled to get at the larvae in the ground dwelling stage.

Biological control.
Other control measures are being developed. For example, two species of soil-dwelling nematodes have demonstrated activity against pupating small hive beetles. These include Steinernema riobrave and Heterorhabditis indica.

University of Florida 2010 - reviewed 2016

 

[stevebrowning]

Be interesting to see how well beekeepers that have problems now with wax moths adapt when small hive beetle arrives.

They'll give up

 

[For want of a better word]

Not sure if moths are getting immune but they will adapt, it has been reported that moths are becoming lighter in colour as part of their defence to blend in to the environment as populated areas are becoming cleaner.

Some say it is evolution, DNA mutation

Anyone know the colour of native honey bees before the industrial revolution.

Somewhere I read that the Native British Honeybee was dark brown to black.
Possibly B Cooper... can not recall any description in any of the old apiculture books that I have read... possibly someone out there can comment?
Seems to be a little variation in colouration in the native bees extant today that I have seen... from dark brown to almost totally black.
The bees I saw in the Isle of Man were very dark with a lighter banding and I should imagine that there forefathers and grand parents were not heavily influenced by the pollution of the industrial revolution?

Nos da

 

[Michael Palmer]

Freezing is highly effective so long as they are left in the freezer for at least 7 days.

Greater Wax Moth yes. Lesser Wax Moth, no.

 

[Millet]

Greater Wax Moth yes. Lesser Wax Moth, no.

Im not taking the pee by the way this is a genuine question.

Do Lesser Wax Moth need more time in the freezer and would a sulphur vaporizer be any good for dealing with contaminated frames, the reason i mention Sulphur is i have a fogger for the green house that heats sulpher into a vapour, and it kills bugs.

 

[BeeJayBee]

I use a 'sulphur candle' for wax moth. I've only ever needed to treat once, so far, although Thornes suggests that their strips should be used once a month throughout the time frames are in storage.

Be interesting to see how well beekeepers that have problems now with wax moths adapt when small hive beetle arrives.

They'll give up

I think that many will give up, especially if they either lose their colonies or end up with no honey. It'll probably be the same as when varroa arrived, and beekeeper numbers plummeted. Maybe the Asian Hornet will have the same sort of impact?

 

[Hivemaker.]

It'll probably be the same as when varroa arrived, and beekeeper numbers plummeted. Maybe the Asian Hornet will have the same sort of impact?

These things have a way of weeding out the less dedicated.

 

[Fusion_power]

I wonder if the bascillus thurgiensis would work on the larvae of the shb. I can't see why not!! I wonder if anyone has trailed it.

Bacillus thuringiensis var. israeliensis is used to control mosquitoes.
Bacillus thuringiensis var. tenebrionis is used to treat some pest beetles.
Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki ( Btk for short) is used to control Lepidoptera.
Bacillus thuringiensis var. aizawai is used for wax moths. I can confirm that it is highly effective.

There is a possibility that tenebrionis would work against hive beetles. I have not checked to see if it has been tried.

Please keep in mind that BT can kill butterflies as well as pests like wax moths and corn borers. Be careful to apply it according to label directions and in such a way that it affects only the target insect.

 

[Plenty of honey]

Bacillus thuringiensis var. israeliensis is used to control mosquitoes.
Bacillus thuringiensis var. tenebrionis is used to treat some pest beetles.
Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki ( Btk for short) is used to control Lepidoptera.
Bacillus thuringiensis var. aizawai is used for wax moths. I can confirm that it is highly effective.

There is a possibility that tenebrionis would work against hive beetles. I have not checked to see if it has been tried.

Please keep in mind that BT can kill butterflies as well as pests like wax moths and corn borers. Be careful to apply it according to label directions and in such a way that it affects only the target insect.

Thanks. Interesting stuff this bio warfare!!

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

These things have a way of weeding out the less dedicated.

@Hivemaker. how do you stay on top of wax moth in a year that it is this bad?

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

I'm going to bump this thread as a public service. The answer to my question above is here https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/showpost.php?p=96148&postcount=3 : Pete has given up on acetic acid and uses burnt sulphur.

The PSA is that acetic acid DOES NOT WORK in my experience, as per the OP.

Buy sulphur strips off Thornes and make your own burner with a long tin can (theirs is too short to be value for £9). I tried acetic again this year and have ruined frames to show for it. Sulphur is working so far.

 

[Swarm]

Seems to be a bit of an upsurge in numbers since the announcement they can digest plastic.

 

[Eyeman]

Just get small water sprayer and adjust the amount of B401 for the number of frames. No waste and works.