Wax Moth...?

[bjosephd]

I wonder

I wonder if there is a potential wax moth thing going on in one of my hives.

A while ago I found what looked like a grey wax moth caterpillar thing crawling along the frame rail, which I removed.

I haven't seen, I didn't think, any more evidence since then, apart from this weekend saw a few 'bald brood' I think... certainly the odd white anaemic bee, which today I read is potentially because of wax moth.

I guess I need to totally get on top of this before they set in and get closed up for a prolonged period over winter.

What should I look for further? And what might I do apart from feed them up and hope they get their numbers up and strong enough to hopefully clean out and eject any interlopers?

OR is it just 'hygienic behaviour' and they are cleaning out problem cells/pupa... eg. maybe I have a varroa problem that they are trying to get on top of.

Thoughts and ideas?

I won't be going back in until next week sometime of course at the earliest... when it will be a blazing hot sunny day OF COURSE!

Thanks!

 

[drex]

Wax moths are a bit like varroa, probably present in every colony. I try to ensure that my colonies are big enough and fit enough to keep the numbers down themselves. I know of no other way.

Main problem is when brood frames are stored for the winter. In the absence of bees the moths can go mad and soon destroy a box of frames. I clean up the frames as much as possible with my hive tool, run a blowlamp over the box, especially over the metal runners, under which the moth larvae often hide. I then put a board top and bottom of the stack, burn sulphur strips, and use a ratchet strap to keep the boxes closed good and tight.

 

[Karol]

You can trap the adults to keep numbers down.

 

[Millet]

With a funnel and light trap.. ?.

 

[enrico]

Wax moth are not generally any problem in a healthy hive. You may get the odd one track through the foundation but the bees will usually oust it. I find that they then don't build cells over that track so it us fairly easy to see. It is if they get in a place the bees can't oust them you may have a problem. Eg if you forget to remove a varroa board they can build up under the mesh floor and in the board. I have seen hundreds packed in that space on a hive. It is stored frames that are most at risk. Wet frames are apparently at less risk. You could freeze every frame and blow torch every box but I find that box's stored in absolute dark seem to have no wax moth. I don't know why, maybe they need some light to survive but it works for me.
E

 

[Karol]

With a funnel and light trap.. ?.

No need for a light trap. I believe you already have a suitable device. Just follow the directions using honey and lager. If you feel like it you can drop a little bit of old comb in there.

 

[Millet]

No need for a light trap. I believe you already have a suitable device. Just follow the directions using honey and lager. If you feel like it you can drop a little bit of old comb in there.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I wonder

I wonder if there is a potential wax moth thing going on in one of my hives.

A while ago I found what looked like a grey wax moth caterpillar thing crawling along the frame rail, which I removed.

I haven't seen, I didn't think, any more evidence since then, apart from this weekend saw a few 'bald brood' I think... certainly the odd white anaemic bee, which today I read is potentially because of wax moth.

I guess I need to totally get on top of this before they set in and get closed up for a prolonged period over winter.

What should I look for further? And what might I do apart from feed them up and hope they get their numbers up and strong enough to hopefully clean out and eject any interlopers?

OR is it just 'hygienic behaviour' and they are cleaning out problem cells/pupa... eg. maybe I have a varroa problem that they are trying to get on top of.

Thoughts and ideas?

I won't be going back in until next week sometime of course at the earliest... when it will be a blazing hot sunny day OF COURSE!

Thanks!

Certan aka B401

 

[Arfermo]

Wax moth are not generally any problem in a healthy hive. You may get the odd one track through the foundation but the bees will usually oust it. I find that they then don't build cells over that track so it us fairly easy to see. It is if they get in a place the bees can't oust them you may have a problem. Eg if you forget to remove a varroa board they can build up under the mesh floor and in the board. I have seen hundreds packed in that space on a hive. It is stored frames that are most at risk. Wet frames are apparently at less risk. You could freeze every frame and blow torch every box but I find that box's stored in absolute dark seem to have no wax moth. I don't know why, maybe they need some light to survive but it works for me.
E

This and other responses do not answer the question that was posed. Certan only deals with wax moths in stored frames. As with bjosephd, what is being sought is suggestions as to how to deal with wax moth larvae in LIVE hives. I have found the same problem in one of my hives today (2-3 larvae under the lugs of the frames on one side of one of the BBs amid masses of dead bees etc. following 14 days in Italy). I cleaned out the gulley on either side of the BB but one frame seems to have a lot of cells that have been uncapped prematurely. Would an answer be to remove that frame and any others that appear to be affected entirely perhaps? Having NEVER had such a problem before in live or stored frames, I would be grateful for a more specific answer too please. PMs acceptable.

 

[bjosephd]

Thanks all for your responses. Seems like my best approach is feed up and keep/get healthy and strong my hive.

I have stored foundation in a wind crate which I have wrapped in a ton of cling film... is this a known method?

As yet too early for me to be storing any used equipment/comb/frames/boxes etc.

 

[Hivemaker.]

I have found the same problem in one of my hives today (2-3 larvae under the lugs of the frames on one side of one of the BBs amid masses of dead bees etc. following 14 days in Italy).

As your bees have just spent 14 days in Italy... are you sure they are wax moth larvae? Which region of Italy did you take them to.

 

[enrico]

This and other responses do not answer the question that was posed. Certan only deals with wax moths in stored frames. As with bjosephd, what is being sought is suggestions as to how to deal with wax moth larvae in LIVE hives. I have found the same problem in one of my hives today (2-3 larvae under the lugs of the frames on one side of one of the BBs amid masses of dead bees etc. following 14 days in Italy). I cleaned out the gulley on either side of the BB but one frame seems to have a lot of cells that have been uncapped prematurely. Would an answer be to remove that frame and any others that appear to be affected entirely perhaps? Having NEVER had such a problem before in live or stored frames, I would be grateful for a more specific answer too please. PMs acceptable.

Sorry, I answered the question as best as I was able. Sorry it wasn't to your standard or liking
E

 

[Heather]

Maybe beg space in a chest freezer. One week there kills all wax moth, at every stage. All mine been there and now in big polybags, sealed up till I clean them up in the long winter days.

 

[YorkshireBees]

Thanks all for your responses. Seems like my best approach is feed up and keep/get healthy and strong my hive.

I have stored foundation in a wind crate which I have wrapped in a ton of cling film... is this a known method?

As yet too early for me to be storing any used equipment/comb/frames/boxes etc.

AFAIK and in my experience wax moth, specifically their lavae (that do the damage) are only interested in frames of drawn comb that have at some stage had brood in!
I have only had problems with stored used brood frames.

In terms of wax moth in a hive, as others have said, a healthy sized colony takes care of them the only exception I can think of maybe over winter when the bees are clustered. However possibly the temperature is not right for wax moth during the winter!?

 

[Eyeman]

AFAIK and in my experience wax moth, specifically their lavae (that do the damage) are only interested in frames of drawn comb that have at some stage had brood in!

They will damage honey supers when there is pollen left in the cells.
I've had overwintered supers ruined.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

This and other responses do not answer the question that was posed. Certan only deals with wax moths in stored frames. As with bjosephd, what is being sought is suggestions as to how to deal with wax moth larvae in LIVE hives. I have found the same problem in one of my hives today (2-3 larvae under the lugs of the frames on one side of one of the BBs amid masses of dead bees etc. following 14 days in Italy). I cleaned out the gulley on either side of the BB but one frame seems to have a lot of cells that have been uncapped prematurely. Would an answer be to remove that frame and any others that appear to be affected entirely perhaps? Having NEVER had such a problem before in live or stored frames, I would be grateful for a more specific answer too please. PMs acceptable.

I spray the interior of my boxes and frames as a pre-emptive strike. Over all my hives it costs peanuts and the bugs are waiting for any wax moth larvae to hatch.
Your methods may differ.

 

[Goran]

Adults quite like apple vinegar+orange sweet juice ( scent I believe)+sugar syrup+water - "bottled". Also like sweet juice of sour cherry.. Beer.. Water and sugar syrup added to get it cheaper, apple vinegar to deter bees..
Trouble is that wasps and hornets also like the same..

 

[YorkshireBees]

They will damage honey supers when there is pollen left in the cells.
I've had overwintered supers ruined.

I've only experienced wax moth damage in supers that have frames that have been brooded in tbh.