What's this grub??

[SunnyRaes]

We found this grub on our varroa floor today. Any suggestions as to what it might be?

 

[Lucky Bee]

Looks like a wax moth larva to me.

 

[SunnyRaes]

That was the worry....

 

[Cazza]

A healthy hive will cope with wax moth as yours have demonstrated!
Cazza

 

[SunnyRaes]

I didn't show the varroa floor covered with chalk brood...

However we did merge the hive with a history of chalk brood with another with no history, so it is currently a double brood (14x12 + National) with a new red queen from a good (chalk broodless) stock so hopefully once we see the new queen's brood come through, we'll see an improvement in brood health, and hopefully go towards supporting their removal of wax moth.

 

[Arfermo]

Looks like a wax moth larva to me.

Wouldn't bet on it. More like an ordinary caterpillar of somwe sort I reckon.

 

[Erichalfbee]

waxmoth

 

[pargyle]

Looks like a wax moth larva to me.

Looks a bit too chubby for a wax moth larva to me ... I've seen similar grubs in my garden but not sure what they are.

 

[beeno]

Hi SunnyRaes,
If it is on the OMF I would not like it one bit. It should not be there whatever it is. If it is on your varroa inspection board well anything might happen if you have left it in too long!

 

[Bitbybit]

What other grubs besides waxmoth hang around inside hives?

 

[pargyle]

That was the worry....

If you have wax moth in the hive then you should see other signs of it ... silky webs covered in wax moth eggs and larvae actually eating trails through the comb ... how big is this grub ? And have you any other signs ... I don't think it's a wax moth grub, but I'll stand corrected.

Did you look to see if there's anything going on in the hive ?

 

[Bitbybit]

Could it not be a wax moth grub the bees have disposed of?

 

[Margaret Elisabeth]

Much of the identification of grubs depends on size. I was just looking myself at pictures of wax moth grubs as I took out the inspection insert for a check and found grubs and what seemed to be a sticky mass of webbing, due to the rapidly fluctuating temperatures I had not done it for a while. The grubs were quite small and slim and moved rapidly when disturbed so from what I have just read and seen I guess they are wax moth. I shall have the hose on jet tomorrow while the sun is high and wash underneath the hive. Luckily the bin is due to be emptied tomorrow so the contents of the floor were rapidly scraped into it and the lid quickly slammed shut.
If your grub is very large it could be a crane fly larva that has lost its way or if about the size of a peanut it could be a vine weavel.
By the way there is no such thing as an ordinary caterpillar, only very hungry ones.:icon _204-2:witnessed by my very lacy looking brussel sprouts.

 

[pargyle]

Much of the identification of grubs depends on size. I was just looking myself at pictures of wax moth grubs as I took out the inspection insert for a check and found grubs and what seemed to be a sticky mass of webbing, due to the rapidly fluctuating temperatures I had not done it for a while. The grubs were quite small and slim and moved rapidly when disturbed so from what I have just read and seen I guess they are wax moth. I shall have the hose on jet tomorrow while the sun is high and wash underneath the hive. Luckily the bin is due to be emptied tomorrow so the contents of the floor were rapidly scraped into it and the lid quickly slammed shut.

With luck they were only feeding on the wax deposits on the tray ... might want to have a look at the inside of the hive though and just check that you have not got more in there. A healthy colony will cope with wax moths so it should be OK.

 

[drstitson]

"Could it not be a wax moth grub the bees have disposed of?"

it could have been if it looked like one but it doesn't. wax moth larvae look more like large cream/grey maggots. That looks like a caterpillar.

"What other grubs besides waxmoth hang around inside hives?"

not sure about other grubs but death's head hawk moths raid hives - but the pic isn't of a hawk moth caterpillar.

 

[Margaret Elisabeth]

With luck they were only feeding on the wax deposits on the tray ... might want to have a look at the inside of the hive though and just check that you have not got more in there. A healthy colony will cope with wax moths so it should be OK.

Well I do intend to have a look after I have jet washed the bottom of the hive and stand. There was no sign inside the hive a few days ago and it should be warmer in there than on the tray. They hatch more quickly when it is warm according to what I read on the web from various sources. I shall have no hesitation in burning any frames that I find infested.

 

[MuswellMetro]

Much of the identification of grubs depends on size. I was just looking myself at pictures of wax moth grubs as I took out the inspection insert for a check and found grubs and what seemed to be a sticky mass of webbing, due to the rapidly fluctuating temperatures I had not done it for a while. The grubs were quite small and slim and moved rapidly when disturbed so from what I have just read and seen I guess they are wax moth. I shall have the hose on jet tomorrow while the sun is high and wash underneath the hive. Luckily the bin is due to be emptied tomorrow so the contents of the floor were rapidly scraped into it and the lid quickly slammed shut.
If your grub is very large it could be a crane fly larva that has lost its way or if about the size of a peanut it could be a vine weavel.
By the way there is no such thing as an ordinary caterpillar, only very hungry ones.:icon _204-2:witnessed by my very lacy looking brussel sprouts.

if you leave the varroa monitering board in your omf all the time, you will get a lot of wax moth because the bees cannot clean the varroa moniter board and the wax moth hatch in the debris

if you have an omf then i suggest you leave the board out as advise by the NBU(FERA) and use it as part of your IPM but monitor three of four time a year for 4 days and also during thymol treatment etc, whether you put it back in very cold weather is up to you, i leave it out and use the mesh as my main form of ventilation rather than matchsticks (after B Mobus)
i gree with Dr Stitson , to me it looks like a catapilllar that is looking for a place to pupate

wax moth wont kill a normal hive, just destroy old dead wax in abandoneded hives and bumble bee nest , in some areas you just have to live with it, i was wax moth free, then bought a nuc and now squish a greater wax moth every weekbut have no lesser waxmoth (silky mess over caterpillars)...death head hawk moths are more interesting...massive things that mimic bee phermones and steal honey