are wax moth getting immune!

[enrico]

I have been saying for weeks that I wasn't convinced freezing was killing my wax moth. In a way I am glad someone else agrees.
E

 

[citrus]

just got some "Bacillus thuringiensis var. aizawai" from Italy off ebay ... so going to use that for stored frames

 

[Erichalfbee]

just got some "Bacillus thuringiensis var. aizawai" from Italy off ebay ... so going to use that for stored frames

I have some and it’s going on my Brussels sprouts too

 

[Eyeman]

just got some "Bacillus thuringiensis var. aizawai" from Italy off ebay ... so going to use that for stored frames

What dilution are you using the Italian B401?
The Apiarist suggested 0.1% was OK for tomatoes. I think he used 1% on the combs.

 

[megadyptes]

just got some "Bacillus thuringiensis var. aizawai" from Italy off ebay ... so going to use that for stored frames

How did you find ordering/shipping of that. Given how much you get in the pot I'm half tempted to spray the internal surfaces of the entire shed given the little blighters seems to have no problem procreating in the absence of any frames being in there.

 

[Ian123]

Are they going to eat your shed though?

 

[citrus]

How did you find ordering/shipping of that. Given how much you get in the pot I'm half tempted to spray the internal surfaces of the entire shed given the little blighters seems to have no problem procreating in the absence of any frames being in there.

ordered last week and arrived pronto !! (see what i did there ?)

Never done this before ...but going to get follow the advice from the apiarist blog

 

[Murox]

I have been saying for weeks that I wasn't convinced freezing was killing my wax moth. In a way I am glad someone else agrees.
E

You could be right. Freezing seems to be a bit hit and miss. The general view seems to be that all stages of wax moth can be killed at a steady -18C how long is open to debate, some say 3 -5 hours, others for 24 -48hrs, or even 4 - 5 days.

Frames should be kept in the freezer long enough to allow the extreme cold temperature to penetrate all the material anyway.

I need to read up specifically on wax moth, but some insects produce something a bit like antifreeze in their bodies. Freezing causes them to enter a state similar to hibernation. However if temperatures go from freezing to thawing out and then back to freezing, ice crystals form within the cells which ruptures them. But that cycle may have to happen more than once before it kills, so repeated temperature fluctuations are needed.

 

[Roola]

I use B401... Awesome stuff. Never had a wax moth issue in spring following winter treatment. I use a small pump water sprayer (2 litres) off amazon. Stack the boxes on top of each other and then a piece of plywood on top to seal the stack.

 

[Beefriendly]

Never treat and never had a wax moth problem (so far ).
Supers stacked outside where it's too damn cold for them in our normal winter conditions here. I think that you are more likely to develop wax moth issues if you store your supers inside a shed or outbuilding (warmer) during the winter.

 

[Gwr]

I’ve never had wax moth in 25 + years but 3 years ago a friend of mine showed me the effect of it on his frames so I started methodical burning sulphur strips in the metal chimney holders, all bought from T’s, in my bee shed ( large plastic garden shed ) and this year I’ve lost all of my brood frames to wax moth when I came to melt them at the start of the year.

I recycle all my frames every year so it’s not from my bees having to re make them point of view I mention this, but from a wax melting for my candle hobby point of view it was devastating.

So as well as low swarming and low queen cells production this year we are seeing a wax moth outbreak as well. Global warming, if you believe in it like I do, has a lot to answer for perhaps.

 

[Gwr]

Never treat and never had a wax moth problem (so far ).
Supers stacked outside where it's too damn cold for them in our normal winter conditions here. I think that you are more likely to develop wax moth issues if you store your supers inside a shed or outbuilding (warmer) during the winter.

I’d have though a garden shed wouldn’t offer much more protection in cold conditions than anything being stored outside during winter would it? We no longer store paint in our shed as the pots regularly use to split when the water based paints froze. This last winter we lost some new wooden fence paint when they froze and split the tubs but we might be different up here on this open hill side as nothing tends to offer much protection with the high winds and cold snaps we get.

That said, my Davis weather station on the outside of my shed recorded -7.2 as 2018’s lowest reading and -16.1 as it’s lowest wind chill reading this year so proving this year has so far not been as cold as previous years.

 

[Beefriendly]

I’d have though a garden shed wouldn’t offer much more protection in cold conditions than anything being stored outside during winter would it?

Yes it does offer more protection. It's always warmer inside a shed/outbuilding. No wind chill factor to take into account. You wouldn't get a -16.2C wind chill inside your shed would you?
Mind I don't know how big or small your shed is...might make a difference. Mine are all outbuildings so considerably warmer, things rarely freezes in them.
Sorry about your loss of wax.
Curious why you store your brood frames until spring if you are intending to melt them down? I try to melt everything down that needs melting by late Septembe.r