fast_muchly
New Bee
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2013
- Messages
- 58
- Reaction score
- 4
- Location
- nottinghamshire
- Hive Type
- National
- Number of Hives
- 4
Hi
Would like advice on how to go about clearing up the mess which is all my fault and a huge lesson learned !! .
Caught quite a big swarm this summer popped it into a brood and a half and while at like a complete fool I stuck on 2 supers above the QE with DRAWN comb ( big mistake ) .
3 weeks ago all was fine they were popping honey into the top part of the brood chamber all going well .
3 weeks later I opened up the hive to UTTER devastation , you will think im over exaggerating there must be around 100 to 200 grubs and around at least 50 adult wax moths crawling around totally and utterly destroyed everything , everything all gunked up . Its HEARTBREAKING to see , the swarm I caught was very big and strong now reduced to this and it being my fault .
I now know the importance of keeping the hive to the actual useage of the bees , but what I was trying to do was give them plenty of space as its quite a big swarm but what a mistake to make .
Im basically at now stripping everything down , cutting out all the foundation and chucking it , would you boil or freeze the frames and send for more foundation ? . Also going to put the super frames and brood frames inside a bag and pop them in freezer for a few days . Anything else to recommend bar a massive kick up the backside for myself .
Thx
Alan
Would like advice on how to go about clearing up the mess which is all my fault and a huge lesson learned !! .
Caught quite a big swarm this summer popped it into a brood and a half and while at like a complete fool I stuck on 2 supers above the QE with DRAWN comb ( big mistake ) .
3 weeks ago all was fine they were popping honey into the top part of the brood chamber all going well .
3 weeks later I opened up the hive to UTTER devastation , you will think im over exaggerating there must be around 100 to 200 grubs and around at least 50 adult wax moths crawling around totally and utterly destroyed everything , everything all gunked up . Its HEARTBREAKING to see , the swarm I caught was very big and strong now reduced to this and it being my fault .
I now know the importance of keeping the hive to the actual useage of the bees , but what I was trying to do was give them plenty of space as its quite a big swarm but what a mistake to make .
Im basically at now stripping everything down , cutting out all the foundation and chucking it , would you boil or freeze the frames and send for more foundation ? . Also going to put the super frames and brood frames inside a bag and pop them in freezer for a few days . Anything else to recommend bar a massive kick up the backside for myself .
Thx
Alan