Didn't take long

rookie2531 · March 09, 2015, 07:50:03 PM

O.K. It was cold as heck and a foot of snow Friday. Got warm, up in the 60's today. Bees flying, very active. Went to feed some sugar blocks and what do I see, A WAX MOTH! Crawling on the outside of the super. In the middle of the afternoon. I thought these things died off and the larva had to develop in the late spring early summer?

iddee · March 09, 2015, 08:02:11 PM

No, the adult females mate and hide for the winter. Then come out in the spring and lay more eggs.

rookie2531 · March 09, 2015, 08:52:49 PM

Well, that puts a spin on things. They have both top and bottom entrances. Coming out of winter, with their stores almost used up. Should I pull a box or two and freeze the frames?
I was hoping to brood up, cell build, rear and split. I don't want the moths taking over any empty unoccupied frames.

iddee · March 09, 2015, 09:28:18 PM

You might want to read this thread and contact Zulu.

http://www.worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/index.php/topic,835.0.html

OldMech · March 10, 2015, 12:57:32 AM

If it makes you feel any better...
I froze 40 frames. Good clean drawn comb. Took it out of the freezer, and set it on the shelves in my garage.. i have a heated garage, but the frames had been frozen, and the weather outside was WELL below freezing, so i knew no wax moth could get to my frames..
I went to grab them three weeks ago.. they were one solid mass of larvae and wax moth.. a dozen moths flew up and out when I tried to pick them up...
I was so angry I burnt them all on the spot, opened my garage door and shut the heat off.. next morning it was -5 degrees in the garage.. I felt pretty smug, until i walked past my brand new pressure washer........ and realized I had not drained it... why would I need to drain it with a heated garage?

Michael Bush · March 10, 2015, 08:18:53 AM

Wax moths are not a reason to burn...

OldMech · March 11, 2015, 10:29:28 AM

The only thing salvageable was the frames themselves, so not much loss in setting the torch to them, and it SURE made me feel GOOD, so yeah, was totally worth it! Letting the garage freeze to kill the adults that flew out? Not so much...

Michael Bush · March 11, 2015, 11:30:03 AM

>The only thing salvageable was the frames themselves

I have never seen a wax moth destroy a box. I have seen the chew through the end bars on a frame...

OldMech · March 12, 2015, 03:34:21 AM

I froze 40 frames. Good clean drawn comb. Took it out of the freezer, and set it on the shelves in my garage.. i have a heated garage, but the frames had been frozen, and the weather outside was WELL below freezing, so i knew no wax moth could get to my frames..
I went to grab them three weeks ago.. they were one solid mass of larvae and wax moth.. a dozen moths flew up and out when I tried to pick them up...

It was JUST the frames, no boxes.

rookie2531 · March 12, 2015, 04:51:57 AM

Thanks id.
And sorry to hear that old mech. But nice to know.