Wax Moth

[tonyofarr]

I always store supers wet in strong bin bags that are taped up and have not had a problem with wax moth getting into them. But I have to be scrupulously clean with storage and make sure that there are no bits of dropped wax or containers of wax for the moths to get into. I also find that I have to take out any unused equipment at least once a year and run a blow torch over them and usually find wax moth eggs and occasionally young caterpillars.

I have stored brood frames with pollen successfully all winter in a taped stack that I burnt sulphur in once a month, but it is a bit of a pain.

Storing supers wet and bagged has been a life-saver, I no longer get supers out in the spring to find mouldy pollen. If we get small hive beetle here I don't think that will be an option any more.

 

[Bryang]

Alway store wet


I rely of burning sulphur to keep the moths out of stored drawn brood and super comb and give them 2 treatments 10-14 days apart. How many times did you use the sulphur strips and did you store the super frames in a plastic bag or the boxes in a store house or outside? Moth reinfestation may be more likely with equipment stored inside.

Hi Eyeman, I've stored them the same way for5 years, in super boxes, usually wet frames, all stored in a well ventilated shed. Usually I fumigate them 3 times over the winter, but I think I should have fumed them a lot more because of the very mild winter. They are stored in stacks, sealed, with a large weight on top.

 

[ladaok]

Has anyone tried using carbon dioxide ( CO2 ). A well sealed container of any size to suit .. and slowly trickling the gas from the top, to eventually fill the vessel. ... CO2 is heavier than air. it will suffocate ant animal / insect

 

[Heather]

Last year,I packed my wet supers into a chest freezer. Left for 1 week, then immediately stored in big plastic bags , getting 5 supers per bag.
Found some this year not yet used ... such a poor year for honey... and had wax moth in! Obviously the freezing killed the larvae but not the wax moth eggs!
May have to reluctantly revert to Acetic .
Post above... need to kill those eggs!