Wax Moth?

[Wilfredbuck]

I think I have Wax Moth

I am first year beekeeper the National hive is doing well, all the brood frames are filled out and have bees on them, I placed a super on with a queen excluder on 12 days ago and they have filled out 80% of it and they have filled most with honey – so generally I thought it was going well. I went and checked the inspection board and I have found two what I think are wax moth Larvae ( I have attached pictures).

I went straight into the hive to see if I could see any more but to no avail... so my question is what do I do now?

Cheers all

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

nothing - let the bees sort them out

 

[drex]

Most hives have wax moths in them but usually, as JBM says, the bees keep them under control, unless the hive is weak. I do nothing too. The main thing is to make sure there are no eggs or larvae in the frames before storing away for winter, otherwise you will just have a pile of wax crumbs come spring

 

[Wilfredbuck]

OK cool – It was just a little disconcerting seeing them sat there wiggling away...

 

[ericbeaumont]

to see if I could see any more

Study the combs and look for aberrations - web trails, frass (wax moth poo) or cocoons hidden under the frame lugs, between bottom bars and anywhere on the comb edge of frames.
Hoick anything out and sqaush it; best trick for getting greater wax moth to show its head is to tap the frame repeatedly: the beast will pop out and you can grab it.

Best bet is to keep strong colonies, which will deal with WM robustly.

make sure there are no eggs or larvae in the frames before storing

Either use sulphur to kill, or spray with Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki, aka Dipel or Bruco; available in small packets.

 

[Wilfredbuck]

Study the combs and look for aberrations - web trails, frass (wax moth poo) or cocoons hidden under the frame lugs, between bottom bars and anywhere on the comb edge of frames.
Hoick anything out and sqaush it; best trick for getting greater wax moth to show its head is to tap the frame repeatedly: the beast will pop out and you can grab it.

Best bet is to keep strong colonies, which will deal with WM robustly.


Either use sulphur to kill, or spray with Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki, aka Dipel or Bruco; available in small packets.

I am going back in on Sunday for a really good look around (weather permitting)…. the colony is pretty strong and covering nearly all the frames in the brood box and are up in the super.

 

[ericbeaumont]

pretty strong and covering nearly all the frames in the brood box

Not that strong, then. If it were on double brood and rammed to the rafters...

WM like unattended areas, and are quick to take advantage. This year lesser WM is already abundant (they fly in through our front door of an evening) but not yet the greater, which causes far more damage.

 

[Antipodes]

I am going back in on Sunday for a really good look around (weather permitting)…. the colony is pretty strong and covering nearly all the frames in the brood box and are up in the super.

What I find is the larvae grow and live in the top groove of the frames where the bees can't get at them. often chewing holes in the top bar. Inspections reveal nothing obvious by way of webbing etc., yet they are there, munching away happily in that groove. Occasionally a big grub will venture out and perhaps the bees get to them then and dislodge them, so I presume that's how a grub will appear at an entrance or on a board (as in your case). I often find their strong cocoons in the top bar groove when cleaning frames. There are a few faeces of the grubs in your photos too, particularly the second photo.

 

[Erichalfbee]

How does a grub that size get through the omf?
Maybe it was born and grew in the detritus if the board has been left in.

 

[Antipodes]

Here is a photo of the holes in a top bar of a frame caused by the wax moth larvae.

 

[Swarm]

They take full advantage of any spaces that bees cannot patrol.
This year we have loads of Lesser as well as Greater, practically every roof we remove has a moth hiding there. I've hooked out moth larvae from the combs of large colonies as well, double brood and multiple supers, tons of bees but they don't seem too concerned. I've given them all a stern talking to but I still find evidence of wax moth.

 

[Erichalfbee]

How does a grub that size get through the omf?
Maybe it was born and grew in the detritus if the board has been left in.

@Antipodes Why Funny?
I’ve seen it.

 

[Wilfredbuck]

I did a check today - flicked another larvae off the inspection board… didn’t see any other evidence, the hunt continues

 

[drex]

I only put inspection boards in a few times a year, for a few days each to do varroa counts. If left in all the time, they collect all the detritus from the hives. Ideal place for wax moth larvae and out of the reach of the bees. Not good

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

there are far more important things in beekeeping than fretting about the occasional waxmoth grub. If I spent all my time chasing stray waxmoth larvae on crownboards etc - I'd have to do the majority of my beekeeping by torchlight.

 

[Erichalfbee]

there are far more important things in beekeeping than fretting about the occasional waxmoth grub. If I spent all my time chasing stray waxmoth larvae on crownboards etc - I'd have to do the majority of my beekeeping by torchlight.

Red torchlight