# Indian Meal Moth in Honeycomb



## AnnieBee (Jun 30, 2015)

I bought some used drawn frames from brood chambers of die-outs the first part of January.
They have all the telltale signs of being overwhelmed by Varrola. I also see a little wax moth activity.

Even though the frames were stored in unheated building through several hard freezes, I was finding live larvae under cells that were capped with a thin lid of web.

Pulling these out, I found the larvae in a shroud of web. An entomologist identified these as Indian Meal Moth larvae.
They basically look like Lesser Wax Moth larvae-- but are less 'robust'. No freezer space, so I am heat treating the frames for any wax moth (115 deg. for 3 hours) and happy to report the Meal Moths can't stand this treatment either.


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## tech.35058 (Jul 29, 2013)

Dumb question, but will 115 degrees melt the combs?
Do you have a "special hot box" to do this, or ???
(How did you make it ?)
Are the Indian meal worms actually a "live hive" concern, or just moving in after the bees are gone?
Thanks ... CE


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## AnnieBee (Jun 30, 2015)

Clemson Univ. published the heat treatment for Wax Moths at 115 deg. F. for 80 minutes, or 120 deg. F. for 40 minutes. With a warning that combs may sag at 120 deg. F. and melt at 148 deg. F.

My hot box set-up consists of a screened inner cover sitting on the concrete floor. I put the deep super containing the frames on the cover, with a metal queen excluder over the super.
The heat source is the head of my food dehydrator unit. I have the round one that heats from the top and has adjustable temperature, I think it is 110-145 deg. F. Set it at 115 deg. and block the rest of the QE with cardboard to keep in the heat.

This is also my setup to liquefy crystallized honey. Just use empty supers to build it high enough to insert my 5 gallon bucket. Takes a couple days, but works well.
My understanding is that the IMM moved in after the hive died out, attracted to the protein in the pollen left in the comb. The entomologist said they won't slime the comb, but will emerge in great numbers to plague me in the honey house if I don't kill them first.

I thought this was interesting because if you Google IMM and honeycomb, no hits.


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## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

Do you have a link for your dehydrator.

How about a link for the study too.

If you are using it on a stack of hives how do you know it's an even temperature? 

I saw some of those larva too, they got into some pollen sub and honey comb. A good freeze outside took care of them.


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## Riskybizz (Mar 12, 2010)

Probably wouldn't be a bad idea to ask your entomologist friend to check those combs for AFB scale also. Always thought it was a little risky to be buying someone else's comb from dead-outs unless your really sure of the operations history.


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## AnnieBee (Jun 30, 2015)

Link for my dehydrator
http://www.nesco.com/products/Dehyd...-Encore-Food-Dehydrator/session_1d2c4e136fcd/ 

Link for Clemson Wax Moth IPM
http://www.clemson.edu/extension/beekeepers/publications/wax_moth_ipm.html
The paper cites the research under Physical Control ((Shimanuki and Knox 1997). 

I am only using the dehydrator set-up on 1 deep hive when heat treating for larvae. The dehydrator has a fan which circulates the warm air.
Instead of 80 minutes as per Clemson recommendations, I am letting it run for 3 hours. 

Our forcast is for at least 10 days of highs in the 50's and no freezing temps at night, or that would be a quick fix for them-- the easy way.


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## AnnieBee (Jun 30, 2015)

Good advice.


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## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

That's for the links.


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