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  • Wax Moth

  • Honeybee pests and diseases.
Honeybee pests and diseases.
 #2853  by AdamD
 29 Apr 2019, 12:48
I have noticed this year that there seems to be a lot more wax moth within the brood comb of existing colonies than other years. Usually one might find the odd one in an apiary; this year it has been quite common to find them in a hive. Has anyone else experienced such an increase?
 #2854  by Jim Norfolk
 29 Apr 2019, 14:18
Adam I have seen quite a lot of lesser wax moth this spring. I have known about them all winter as their droppings have been ever present on the Varroa trays. They do not appear to be a problem but the bees chase them out from time to time with smaller ones coming through the mesh floor and bigger ones out of the front door onto the landing board. If I see one, adult, pupa or larva it gets removed or squashed.
 #2865  by Patrick
 29 Apr 2019, 23:55
I have also noticed them in full colonies. I think they had a boom year last year in the heat (so much quicker reproduction cycles).

I suspect any weak colonies which succumb will get overrun sharpish.
 #2875  by Chrisbarlow
 30 Apr 2019, 21:26
I've been thinking about this and although I don't think I have seen any wax moths , I have seen quite a lot of cocoons randomly placed around in colonies that I wouldn't have expected to see them, so maybe the hot summer in 2018 followed by a warm winter has been kind to our little wax eater friends
 #9293  by Patrick
 20 Oct 2020, 22:05
This prolonged mild autumn seems to have meant that the wax moths are still around and hitting any available comb. I had a late suspected queenless colony which was probably robbed out in short order (by either bees or wasps). I went to take the boxes back into storage and found wax moths already established and the larvae tucked up in pupal cases.

Having been through every frame and flamed the boxes I think they are now cleared out and only lost a few to the steamer. I was interested to see a small tuft of white peeping out from the end of the plastic frame runner. Prising it off, a whole row of occupied pupal shucks were established dug into the wood behind the runner. Not sure I have spotted that before, but bet I have missed it a few times. One to look out for, would be a real pain to have introduced them into a storage stack.

Only small recompense is now have a small pot of larvae for a quick trip to the river one evening this week ;)
 #9374  by MickBBKA
 29 Oct 2020, 01:25
I know I always bang on about regional differences but it is all in honest talk.
In my area I have never in 8 years seen a single wax moth in any colony. Also until this year I had never seen chalk brood ever. I do now have 1 colony that has had it since May. The colony is very strong and gave a good honey crop and has a 2019 Queen. I wonder if wax moth is more suited to southern warmer areas..?
 #9376  by Patrick
 29 Oct 2020, 09:33
MickBBKA wrote:I know I always bang on about regional differences but it is all in honest talk.
In my area I have never in 8 years seen a single wax moth in any colony.... I wonder if wax moth is more suited to southern warmer areas..?
Lesser wax moth is found throughout the UK but Greater wax moth does seem to have more public records in the south. The problem with online distribution maps is they rely on having people who can identify them reliably collecting records, being prepared to share them and someone else being prepared to publicise them.

Let’s face it, both adult moths are pretty dull and often found in association with beehives or stored equipment - if someone runs a moth trap a couple of miles away they may not record any. Lepidopterists don’t consider either common species, but then again they usually don’t look after the larvae’s main food source.

I very rarely see either species in occupied hives either. It is usually in dead outs left unattended or stored brood frames. I have been storing supers without any chemical protection for around a decade without incident.

If you really don’t get either around you - that’s grounds for celebration!
 #9381  by RJC
 29 Oct 2020, 18:49
I run a moth trap in the garden (I have a couple of hives there). I do get greater wax moths in the trap, but very rarely lesser wax moths. This year I have had more lesser wax moths in my stored wet supers than previously. Even on warm balmy summer nights I very rarely get honey bees in the trap, but I do get a fair few wasps and the occasional hornet - which makes you handle the egg cartons very carefully!
 #9382  by NigelP
 29 Oct 2020, 19:06
Rare to find them in my hives, but frequent on stored brood frames unless carefully prepared. This year burnt sulphur strips and sealed and leaving outside for winter.
I find they prefer brood frames (more larval protein cases?) than super frames.
 #9390  by Chrisbarlow
 31 Oct 2020, 15:41
NigelP wrote:
29 Oct 2020, 19:06
Rare to find them in my hives, but frequent on stored brood frames unless carefully prepared. This year burnt sulphur strips and sealed and leaving outside for winter.
I find they prefer brood frames (more larval protein cases?) than super frames.
Where did you get the sulphur strips from?