# 1. Put wax moth comb on strong hive? 2. Did the Bt work...or not?



## Intheswamp (Jul 5, 2011)

Here are a couple of shots of when I was pulling supers. 

I had already seen some cocoons on the top bars of the top super...I removed that super and a couple of frames to uncover the top bars of the brood chamber. Talk about a bad feeling coming over you *real* quick!!!









Here's a shot of a brood frame...disgusting and my fault. I could reach into the comb and literally pull out web, nasty, nasty. Note the straight lines where some larvae had bored their nasty little wormy bodies through the comb, eating and crapping and spinning web...









While I was pulling the supers to go extract them I took time to pull most of the cocoons off of the frames in the supers. Here's a shot of them in an ice cream bucket with a little oil thrown in...figured it'd help their complexion...especially after I put the lid back on and left them in the sun. Nasty.


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## psfred (Jul 16, 2011)

I'd ditch the brood comb with the tunnels. The bees will just rip it all out anyway, fresh foundation is better.

The other frames can go back in, the bees will run the wax moths out with no problem and take care of any hatching larvae.

It's aways frustrating to lose a hive, but in this case you had a weak hive that the moths finished off -- the failure on your part was putting too many supers on them too soon, I think. Not enough bees on the brood frames to get rid of the wax moth larvae while they were small, and they then drove the bees out.

I lost a hive to a combination of wax moths and EFB this spring -- the moth larvae caused the bees to rip out all their stored pollen and I think killed off enough brood that they just dwindled away with the EFB from last summer making it worse. Should have cut them back to a single nuc early this spring, probably would have saved them.

Another lesson learned, I guess. Next time do a full inspection, just like I should have last year -- I would have put the feeder back on a fed them a protein patty, too, and would have had a bumper honey crop this year instead of an empty hive.

Peter


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## BigGun (Oct 27, 2011)

You cooked some good fishing bait in that bucket.


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## Intheswamp (Jul 5, 2011)

BigGun said:


> You cooked some good fishing bait in that bucket.


Yes, but they were wonderful on a bed of black rice with a glass of warm bordeaux!!!

Ed


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## beekeeperlady (Mar 25, 2009)

why not after you take most of the wax off. bake the frames in the oven at about 150 to 200. put them on a cookie sheet tho to catch drippings.. a lipped cookie sheet works.. if not put them on tin foil.. bake about 30 min.. it will kill everything on there.. and makes the house smell bee wonderful lol.. i did that to a bunch of frames i got from someone as i didnot know thier history and wanted to sterilize them as best as possible.. keep an eye on them.. as you don't want them to burn.


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## psfred (Jul 16, 2011)

Melting wax in an oven is an invitation to a house fire. Put them in a box with a clear sheet of something over the open top in the sun and it will melt nicely and get at least as hot. It's gonna be 104 here today, shouldn't be very hard to get a bit more heat and melt wax!

Solar wax melters are EASY -- a friend of mine uses a discarded sink and an old storm window, works great.

peter


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## beekeeperlady (Mar 25, 2009)

that.. is why i said take the wax off. unfortunately there is usually a little on the frame still..you bake it at a low temperature..lower than i bake bacon...(its how resturants get that nice evenly cooked bacon they put out.. you layer the bacon side by side.. and then bake it in the oven 300.. drain fat off once and put back on.. even crispy.. )


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## Intheswamp (Jul 5, 2011)

Thanks for the feedback, ya'll. I've got some of Sundance's Bt that I think I'll go ahead and spray these frames with before putting on a hive.

Any need in trying to melt wax out of those brood frames or is it simply too nasty to fool with (looked mighty webby and nasty to me!)? I've got one of those rectangular tubs used for mixing small amounts of concrete or washing your dog in (our use for it). I may cover the bottom with some plastic with a perimeter of 1x1 wood to make a "dish", put the brood frames in there and stretch a piece of clear plastic across it. It won't have any insulation but it ought to heat up pretty good. More tinkering when I get the time! 

Thanks again,
Ed


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## throrope (Dec 18, 2008)

When I opened a box of new gear a few wax moths flew out. On the safe side, I loaded it into a cooler with a pound or so of dry ice and sealed with 2" masking tape. Per the numbers for time and temperature, it did the trick.


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