# Beehive Destroyed



## Martindh5 (Feb 15, 2016)

I started a new hive last spring and it struggled all summer. I believe I lost the queen early and the hive finally re-queened but by the time they did their numbers were low and by August Yellow Jackets had invaded the hive - the bees were effectively run out. I immediately pulled the boxes from the garden so the hornets or wasps or whatever would not destroy the comb and honey the bees had made. I have stored my boxes in my garage all winter so far - it gets cold - and likely has frozen many times since I stacked them in the garage. Today (February 15) I went out to take a look at the boxes and frames and everything is completely full of something that looks like wax months (i guess - I really have no idea). Can someone confirm that it is wax moths - and do I just burn the frames - clean the boxes and try again - or are my problems even worse? Any help would be appreciated. You will see in the photos that I have maggot looking things (larva?) and lots of eggs or something that seems to be small and grainy everywhere. I don't know what I have done wrong, but I would like to clean things up and try again.

Thanks


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## fieldsofnaturalhoney (Feb 29, 2012)

Yes wax moths, possible to get the webs out & salvage some of them comb. Then freeze them to kill any egg/larvae's. At all cost, wax moth must be prevented from stored frames There are things you can also buy to prevent them.


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## Hops Brewster (Jun 17, 2014)

Wax moths. It did not get cold enough this winter along the Great Salt Lake Valley to kill 'em.
Getting down to freezing (32deg F) outdoors while the frames are in your garage several degrees warmer is inadequate. It is necessary to freeze the wax down around 0 deg F or colder for 24 to 48 hours to kill the wax moth eggs and/or larvae.

I use a chest freezer for that purpose.


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## bee keeper chef (Nov 1, 2015)

I would wrap them up and drop them in the deep freezer for a couple days. bring them out and let them warm up then trim the really bad spots the bees will clean up most of the frames. I am new at this but that is what I have been told. I had a super with frames I forgot about in the corner of my garage had same problem. Froze them and trimmed them up ready to go. I hope


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## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

Cleaned up dead-outs for another beek to get my start. Saw lots of wax moth damage. Worst case a frame will have like web carpet on each side. (yuck) What I see in the pics is the most minor damage I've seen yet. Freeze them frames a couple days and the bees can clean it up imo.
It's not destroyed. You got lucky and caught it.


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## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

It looks like there is too much damage on the frames shown to just cut it out scrape the wax off the plastic foundation them pressure wash. paint some melted wax on the foundation and reuse. If you have any with just a section of streak or two then cut that away and hope the bees will redraw the missing spots.


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## beesohappy (Jun 3, 2009)

aunt betty said:


> Cleaned up dead-outs for another beek to get my start. Saw lots of wax moth damage. Worst case a frame will have like web carpet on each side. (yuck) What I see in the pics is the most minor damage I've seen yet. Freeze them frames a couple days and the bees can clean it up imo.
> It's not destroyed. You got lucky and caught it.


I agree 100%. You got lucky. Greater wax moth damage is the worst. What you have there is lesser wax moth damage and its an easy fix.


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## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

take a look at picture 3, you ended up with a drone layer at the end.


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## GaryG74 (Apr 9, 2014)

Welcome to BeeSource! It could have been worse, would have been but you caught it. Good info by other posters on freezing 48 hours. The bees can clean it up. I've had worse and the bees cleaned it up fast. Good luck this year and don't give up.


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## gone2seed (Sep 18, 2011)

One other thing. That bug on pic #5 isn't a wax moth.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>Beehive Destroyed

Not destroyed. It just need to be cleaned up.


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## Woodside (Aug 10, 2010)

nothing to worry about... Ive seen bees clean a full box infested literally 25x worse of wax moths up nearly spotless. Bees have a difficult time removing the cacoons of the worms and seem to glaze them over with propolis. Other than that, the bees chew up the web and remove it, also they repair the wax. Next package of bees just make sure you give them plenty of food... sugar syrup (not a few tablespoons of sugar in a jar of water), also do oav treatment. If you just manage to do those 2 things you will have some pretty decent bees


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## tanksbees (Jun 16, 2014)

Wax moth infested frames make excellent bait frames
for swarm traps, and a swarm will clean up frames like that really fast.

Setting up swarm traps is a good use of resources this time of year.


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## Ravenseye (Apr 2, 2006)

Not bad for wax moths. Freeze the frames, brush them off and let the bees have at them!


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