larvae on the floor

[Martimart]

I'd appreciate a bit of help with this little fella. I've had floors on both my hives over the past 5 days to check varroa drop. on the final day on just one hive I found this, it Amy have been dead, it didn't move or wriggle about. Is it wax moth? also if it's a problem, how to I treat the hive?

 

[madasafish]

Wax moth
https://nationalbeeunit.com/index.cfm?pageid=207

 

[Boston Bees]

I'd appreciate a bit of help with this little fella. I've had floors on both my hives over the past 5 days to check varroa drop. on the final day on just one hive I found this, it Amy have been dead, it didn't move or wriggle about. Is it wax moth? also if it's a problem, how to I treat the hive?


View attachment 30949

Nothing you can do about wax moth and won't be a problem as long as the colony is in good health (and if the colony isn't in good health, you have bigger problems than wax moth).

Finding one of these wrigglers isn't a major concern in itself.

Just ignore it until first inspection.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Colony look strong also with all the pollen on the inspection board.

 

[Martimart]

Nothing you can do about wax moth and won't be a problem as long as the colony is in good health (and if the colony isn't in good health, you have bigger problems than wax moth).

Finding one of these wrigglers isn't a major concern in itself.

Just ignore it until first inspection.

Thank you for your advice. I think the colony is good and healthy from outside observation.

 

[Martimart]

Colony look strong also with all the pollen on the inspection board.

Thank you. They're showing 3 or 4 lines of potential brood work and 2 lines of food from what I can see from the floor capping.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Thank you. They're showing 3 or 4 lines of potential brood work and 2 lines of food from what I can see from the floor capping.

That's a fair size cluster then

 

[Boston Bees]

Thank you for your advice. I think the colony is good and healthy from outside observation.

PS: Wax moth are generally a sign that your bees have more space in the hive than they can defend. But it's pretty hard to manage that over winter, admittedly.

 

[Martimart]

PS: Wax moth are generally a sign that your bees have more space in the hive than they can defend. But it's pretty hard to manage that over winter, admittedly.

That makes sense, they are on 14x12 and in winter I think you're spot on. I'll try and remove any other larvae on the next inspection.

 

[Boston Bees]

That makes sense, they are on 14x12 and in winter I think you're spot on. I'll try and remove any other larvae on the next inspection.

If you have a colony that isn't packing out its 14x12 box in autumn you could transfer it into a poly nuc for winter. One option, anyway. Or you could dummy it down.