# Wax moth infestation in dead-out hive from last fall - salvage or start over?



## Life is Good! (Feb 22, 2013)

I had a hive die last late fall (robbed out due to failing queen, hive was taken over on a weekend I wasn't home to help prevent complete disaster). Because it was so late in the season, I left the combs in the hive body knowing winter would freeze any pests inside. Wrong! Winter in northern IL was cold, not brutal like two years ago - but cold enough long enough to theoretically kill off insect pests. Temps were at or below zero for at least 2 weeks consecutively, and dipped and dropped periodically beyond that. 

Today was the third warm day in a row this spring (yeah! It's finally temperate!) and I opened the hive to find a complete disaster. Thousands of wax moth cocoons. Thousands of eggs visible in the remaining drawn unused combs. No active crawlers or live moths - but the larvae I pulled out of cocoons could have been live....only about 20% were 'rotten' and completely nasty. I've physically removed all the cocoons - double bagged in trash bag and in lidded garbage container far from apiary. 

The question is what to do with the drawn unused combs and badly damaged frames. Some frames the wax moth larvae literally drilled holes into....and I pulled out way too many cocoons from their wooden vaults. Ewwww. 

Out of 30 frames, I've got 8 drawn frames of fairly new wax (not used, but drawn out) but all are covered in wax moth eggs. These frames do not have any larvae holes drilled into them - they were too far from the main infestation I guess. Do I keep the frames or toss them?

As for the drilled out frames (where larvae literally ate into the wood)....I'm starting to think those too need to be burned/tossed/gotten rid of. The holes would make nice hidey-spots for small hive beetles or other wax moth larvae. Opinions?

I've got six weeks before my package of bees arrives...so I've got to make a decision soon - and get stuff ordered and here and assembled and back ready to go into the hive...I know how fast these girls can build comb, I'd like to stay ahead of them!


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## cheryl1 (Mar 7, 2015)

I'm curious too. I have the same problem


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## Dan P (Oct 29, 2014)

Ive also had wax moths. I just threw away most frames then lightly burned the box and the frames that were not to bad. After all the time spent. Would have been cheaper to buy new and not have the worry I missed some eggs in every little nook and cranny. So Start over


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## fieldsofnaturalhoney (Feb 29, 2012)

Life is Good!;1235144
The question is what to do with the drawn unused combs and badly damaged frames. Some frames the wax moth larvae literally drilled holes into....and I pulled out way too many cocoons from their wooden vaults. Ewwww. Opinions?[/QUOTE said:


> Mine all depends on the extent of the damage. Even wax moth damaged drawn frames, can be like gold (ok, silver) . First & foremost, get them in a deep freeze, or some type of preventative future damage! For me, the worst case scenario of damage would be cut everything out of the frame/s, & set them out in the warm sun. In hopes of salvaging/restarting the frame. Always risky leaving a dead-out to its own devices. Consider yourself lucky that rodents didn't help themselves too


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## Pete O (Jul 13, 2013)

You can always spray your frames with BT even when the bees are on the frame. I've sprayed frames covered with bees with problems whatsoever . BT is heavily diluted before use; instructions are on the bottle. It's available at any garden center under a variety of names.


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## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

I stored supers and frames last winter in large plastic bags, then backfilled with CO2. If you get 80% or better CO2 and hold the concentration for 4 days, it should kill everything, including all life stages of wax moths or any other insect pest. Higher concentrations kill even faster. You could use dry ice as the source if you have it. I used a small bottle of compressed CO2 that I also use for welding.

Nothing wrong with the freezer, if you have one and it by some miracle has any room left in it. I have seen them that way in appliance stores. 

Watch the Bt ... there are a couple of ongoing discussions elsewhere in the forum. Bti is the stuff in mosquito dunks, and it is not active against moths. The one particular strain that listed for wax moths should not be used on bee larvae. There are two other strains that don't seem to harm bees but for some reason are not listed for wax moth control. Use per the label!


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## Ravenseye (Apr 2, 2006)

I rarely do much with damaged boxes except for cleaning off webs and cocoons, etc. If there's wood damage, so be it. I don't torch. If the box needs painting, I'll do it while I have the chance.

Frames are generally salvageable but of course, I don't know how bad yours are. If the comb is completely riddles, I'll pull it out and dump it or toss it in the wax melter to try and salvage something. Then, the frame gets new foundation. If the frame is really wonked, it just becomes kindling for one of the fireplaces. If it's marginal or better, I pull all the cocoons I can find (lots in split bars and up top where the ears of the frame rest in the boxes) and give it new foundation if necessary. Frames that just have some minor comb damage or light webbing goes right back in and the bees fix it all. 

I hate wax moths, not for the damage they do but for the work they create for me when I could be doing something more productive.


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