Large grubs / coccoons in the hive

[Richard W.]

Hi Folks,

I wonder if I could solicit some help from the assembled company about a problem I had with my hive last year?

When I opened the hive up towards the end of the season there were large (about four times the size of adult bees) grubs wandering around inside the hive. The colony was very weak and eventually died out. Some of the frames were covered in silk like web and there were other grubs still in cocoons at various locations within the hive.

Getting the hive ready this week I’ve noticed there were some cocoons I’d missed. I also noticed that they seem to have attacked the wood of both the brood chamber as well as some of the frames. In places it looked as if someone had taken a router to the wood and there were also bore holes, like woodworm but ten times the size.

I wonder if anyone knows what these beasties are and how to stop them coming back?

Many thanks,

Richard W.

 

[Tom Bick]

It's wax moth. Just to add as you say damage to the hive and frames the greater wax moth

 

[Chris B]

A strong colony is the best defence against these. You'll still get a few but the bees don't get overrun.

They like old brood comb best so don't keep ancient comb in storage - melt it out and renew. But if you do store comb, the moths don't like the light so keep them in the light if possible. If not then you can use a product called Certan which will kill them when they eat the comb. Or for a quick hit you can freeze the combs.

They aren't totally bad news - eating up old comb is one of nature's ways of keeping foulbroods at bay in the wild.

 

[itma]

There are some excellent (and free) downloadable leaflets that cover wax moth and comb storage available from The National Bee Unit's "Beebase" web site.
Download page -> https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/index.cfm?pageid=167

Elsewhere on the same site you can (really really should) register your apiary and colonies.

 

[Richard W.]

Sounds like Greater Wax Moth

Many thanks for the info. It does sound like the Greater Wax Moth. A friend produced an article that mentioned the wood boring activities, which was the real give away in this case.

Thanks again for your assistance.

Richard W.

 

[drstitson]

"which was the real give away in this case. "

along with the fact that wax moth is the ubiquitous problem beastie which should have been covered in your basic reading/courses.

 

[pargyle]

"which was the real give away in this case. "

along with the fact that wax moth is the ubiquitous problem beastie which should have been covered in your basic reading/courses.

And therein lies a very common problem in beekeeping .... There is so much information freely available if you want to learn about beekeeping.

 

[oliver90owner]

Not too difficult. Usually found in the section on 'pests and diseases' in good beekeeping books. And likely in the less good ones, too.

 

[Tom Bick]

The great thing about this forum is that a question by a beekeeper can also inform others.

 

[oliver90owner]

The great thing about this forum is that a question by a beekeeper can also inform others.

Of what? That actually reading a book is a good idea before jumping in head first with no idea of what beekeeping is all about?

 

[Swarm]

I've just read three posts, in different threads, similar content in each.

 

[Tom Bick]

The great thing about this forum is that a question by a beekeeper can also inform others.

Of what? That actually reading a book is a good idea before jumping in head first with no idea of what beekeeping is all about?

No in this case the large cocoons in the photo are from the greater wax moth.