wax moth pupae wandering around in the lid above the crownboard

[citrus]

Popped the lid off a double brood hive this morning as giving them some of this thymol winter sugar syrup for nosema via a rapid feeder.

Noticed two wax moth pupae wandering on the lid above the perspex crownboard.

Never seen that before ... dont think I have a wax moth issue as I checked this hive 10 days ago and they are going great guns (and working the local ivy)

Guess we know that most hives live with wax moth and these two had escaped the bees and were hiding up in the lid !

 

[Erichalfbee]

Larvae
They will be larvae
Never seen wax moth here in wales but when we lived in Cumbria I would occasionally see them in the detritus under the floor.

 

[Swarm]

Larvae
They will be larvae
Never seen wax moth here in wales but when we lived in Cumbria I would occasionally see them in the detritus under the floor.

Really? I've noticed a big increase these past couple of years. They got into some spare frames which I thought were sealed and ruined some of them.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Really? I've noticed a big increase these past couple of years. They got into some spare frames which I thought were sealed and ruined some of them.

Yes really but I suppose my time will come
It’s why I separate every third super with a paynes crownboard

 

[citrus]

yes sorry .. larvae

anyway the chickens enjoyed them .. but odd to see them wandering (inching) around the top of the crownboard

 

[Antipodes]

Hi Citrus, it is odd to see the odd big grub (particularly where you did) but I have seen big grubs out of the hive just a few times, and a bit like in your case, the hive on inspection had basically no visible infestation. It is as if the bees let one or two grubs get to a good size before ousting them.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Never seen wax moth here in wales .

It seems very localised, haven't had any great issues here although they will have a go if there's a bit of old brood comb around and I have had cases of lesser wax moth attacking the odd frame, sepecially it it has been stored for longer than usual.
Swansea area is totally different - alive with wax moth both lesser and greater, frequently see larvae on crown boards and if a colony is dwindling or has died out, they'll take over the whole brood box in a shot - same with any stored brood frames.

 

[bobba]

I am in my first season of keeping.

And I have seen this twice. Each time a single large larvae wondering around on top of the crown board.

And another time an adult wax moth was atop the crown board. I could see no sign of pupae remnants above the crown, so assume it must have hatched in the hive, or entered from outside.

In all 3 instances a feeder was in place over the single hole I have in my crowns.

However, I do flip the crowns every inspection, This allows me to scrape the wax off the top of the board at the end of the inspection. So I figured they must have been very small or still eggs, then hatched and eaten the remnants of wax above the crown to survive.

I have never seen wax moth or larvae inside the hive.

(this is the same hive I discussed in another thread that had a queen land on top of the crown board)

 

[citrus]

actually maybe its this scenario :-

open hive and turn paynes poly national lid upside down

put top brood box on the lid whilst I get involved in the basement box ..

could some eggs/larvae have dropped off into the lid ?

Then I put the hive back together but now the larvae/eggs are above the perspex crownboard and only have the lid to live in ?

 

[bobba]

I have heard people say if you tap a frame with a hive tool the larvae will pop their heads up out of the comb.

So perhaps as you move the box the vibrations can cause the larvae to emerge from the comb, then maybe the bees help dislodge them so they fall.

I wonder if it would be possible to encourage the larvae to fall from an infested hive by vibrating it.

I am thinking just stand each leg on a phone set to vibrate, then call all 4 phones.

Or 3 phones and the wife's favorite toy from Ann Summers, whatever you have to hand. But I think those Ann Summers leg shavers would work really well.

 

[Millet]

actually maybe its this scenario :-

open hive and turn paynes poly national lid upside down

put top brood box on the lid whilst I get involved in the basement box ..

could some eggs/larvae have dropped off into the lid ?

Then I put the hive back together but now the larvae/eggs are above the perspex crownboard and only have the lid to live in ?

That is exactly what i was thinking..i often get earwigs dropping from the inside of the roof and landing on the crown board..