Wax Moth

[Nbw]

Hi all
I re-queened a week ago and on inspection under the queen cage I found a single wax moth larvae. I removed it and looked through the frames and didn't see any signs of through the brood or super frames.

The colony is a single brood box with 1 super box. Very strong

Is there anything else I should be doing? Any further steps can I take.

 

[Swarm]

Try not to create any spaces where the bees can't patrol. Wax moth can be present even in big, strong colonies and the bees seem to tolerate them.

 

[pargyle]

If you leave the inspection board in then clean it regularly as they are attractive to wax moths and the small larvae can easily migrate into the hive through the mesh floor where they then grow. The moths will lay their eggs in any crevices or nooks and crannies so be vigilant. As Swarm says, large and strong colonies wlll usually manage wax moths but nucs or weaker colonies are vulnerable.

 

[BaconWizard]

If you leave the inspection board in then clean it regularly as they are attractive to wax moths and the small larvae can easily migrate into the hive through the mesh floor where they then grow. The moths will lay their eggs in any crevices or nooks and crannies so be vigilant. As Swarm says, large and strong colonies wlll usually manage wax moths but nucs or weaker colonies are vulnerable.

I have a question about that, thinking of how things might work in a feral colony, bearing in mind that such colonies (in trees) are typically a single deep's worth.
My working theory was that wax moth do a sort of service in clearing-out brood-comb as the winter cluster moves up and this is then replaced in spring.
How small does a colony need to be before max-moth can take-over and make it untenable for the bees?

 

[pargyle]

But they don't really clean out the old comb ... they consume the wax but they leave behind the propolis and cocoons and a whole load of mess that perhaps in feral colonies the bees will clear out -:but in managed boxes with frames the wax moth grubs will eat into the timber of the box and the frames.. and in poly will actually destroy the box. I don't know how small a colony needs to be before the wax moth becomes a greater burden than they can cope with but ....having had a paynes poly nuc rendered only fit for the tip thanks to wax moth - I would not suggest an experiment to find out !

 

[Erichalfbee]

The box in the tree at the bottom of the garden has had three colonies in it. At the moment there are scouts at both entrances. I half expect, one day, to walk down to let the hens out to see wax moths escaping from the sides of the box having tunnelled through two layers of ply and a layer of PIR
It’s probably just as well that I can’t get a look inside.