Cleaning up wax moth mess

[Kris^]

Because of the nasty spring we had this year, I ended up with more deeps of drawn brood comb than I had colonies to put in them.  After sorting them all out, I stored the extras under our pavillion, with a liberal sprinkling of moth crystals between boxes.  They held up good through the spring and summer with no problems when I checked them, and I dosed them with crystals again about a month and a half ago.  Two weeks ago they were fine.  Today -- not.  I looked in and it's a disaster.  Eight boxes with cocoons all across the tops of the frames, webbing and spoor throughout.  Well, I know what happened, and that's that.  I really doubt the comb is salvageable.  But I'd like to be able to re-use the frames and plastic foundation (some of the frames have plastic foundation and some are foundation-less drawn comb).  First off, how do I kill the cocoons that re in there now without contaminating the hardware?  Would it work to set them out in the sun?  The boxes are setting open right now, and already the honeybees and bumblebees are duking it out the rob the little remnants of honey left there.  And I know I'm gonna end up having to scrape the comb and corpses off each frame, but is there something I should do to treat the frames and plastic foundations?

Fortunately, the moths left the boxes of honey super comb alone, and I've got enough intact brood boxes to house the colonies I have now.  Next year is another year . . . 

-- Kris   

[pdmattox]

I take a hive tool and scrape the frame free of all wax moth debris and if not to bad i will stick a couple in a strong colony to clean them up. or you can freeze them over night and that will kill what is left.  If you are going to store them, I've heard that certain can be sprayed on them and that will keep the wax months away.

[Michael Bush]

The nice thing about Bt is it's fairly permanent.  Once you spray the combs you don't have to worry about those combs again.

[Kris^]

The nice thing about Bt is it's fairly permanent.  Once you spray the combs you don't have to worry about those combs again.

Bt?  What is that?  Does it bother the bees?  Where can it be bought?  As I discovered, the moth crystals sublimate quicker in hot weather . . .

-- Kris

[pdmattox]

Bt aizawai powder which is labled as XenTari biological insecticide for organic production. Made by Valent bio sciences corporation. I think it is a bacteria that when eaten by way moths larva it destoys thier gut and kills them. As far as where i got mine was in a ad in the trading post.

[Michael Bush]

>Bt?  What is that?

Bacillus thuringiensis.  A bacteria that kills mosquito larvae, wax moth larvae and some other larvae.
http://filebox.vt.edu/cals/cses/chagedor/btprimer.html

> Does it bother the bees?

No.

> Where can it be bought?

http://www.beeworks.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=18

Or there is an ad in the for sale section for it.

> As I discovered, the moth crystals sublimate quicker in hot weather . . .

And the Bt will protect those combs for the rest of their life.