# Wax moths!



## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

>I don't have any problem in my hives. I took the boxes that have moths in them and set them outside

Those wax moths will head over to your hives. Freeze the frames for 48 hours then cleanup as best as you can, give them to a strong hive and they will repair the damage. 

There is a product call BT that you can spray comb and it will kill wax moth larva as young larva and feed on comb. It will not work on pollen frames.

https://www.amazon.com/Xentari-XenT...e=UTF8&qid=1434980574&sr=8-1&keywords=xentari

I use "food grade glacial acetic acid" for storing comb for any period of time (same ingredient as vinegar). It kills many bee diseases, wax moths, beetles and keep mice out. I Just stack about 5 or 6 boxes and put 1/2 cup soaked rag across the top bars of the top box, tape the seams if there are gaps. (outside as the vinegar smell can be strong, make sure to use gloves and glasses).


----------



## RobA (Dec 18, 2014)

FlowerPlanter said:


> I use "food grade glacial acetic acid"


Careful, acetic acid over 90% pure is flammable.


----------



## Gypsi (Mar 27, 2011)

this is educational. I was up til 1 am spraying frames with comb and some with pollen with BT Azawai. I let them dry indoors then dropped them in my currently unplugged chest freezer and closed the lid. Didn't know BT wouldn't work on pollen frames but it does explain what didn't work 2 winters ago. 

I have agricultural vinegar, 20%, would that be less dangerous and still be a deterrent to moth infestation inside that sealed freezer.


----------



## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

>I have agricultural vinegar, 20%, would that be less dangerous and still be a deterrent to moth infestation inside that sealed freezer. 

Yes I bet it would you might have to use a bit more.

Several years ago I researched fumigating comb with "glacial acetic acid" specifically for EFB (which I know you had a problem several years ago I followed your thread). To fumigate for diseases it was recommended 80% glacial acetic acid on one pad per deep. I found that it did seem to disinfect empty comb but may not have worked on pollen frames. Also found it may not matter how clean your comb is if you have it in the area, which made it hard to tell what was working and what was not. It does seem to work on pests in a much lower concentration. I use to cut it with water or vinegar to around 80% but after reading others just use it straight, I am saving a step. Maybe the reason it was cut is it was flammable. 

I had some stored comb that I left in garbage bags for a year or so. Mice made one small hole. When I saw the hole I dreaded the messing I though it was going to clean up, I was expecting wax moth and mice nests, so it just sat there for a rainy day. A few month later a swarm of bees moved in. Gave the swarm a day or two then moved them into a hive box, many of the frames were tightly stacked have no idea how they though they had room to move in, they utilized about 1/4 of the frames. What I found was no wax moth damage no mice nest and there was still a hint of vinegar. I suspect the comb retained enough vinegar to keep the mice and moths out. 

Here's some threads on fumigating and store comb;

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?317027-Storing-drawn-comb

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?310557-Acetic-acid-fumigation-Why-80-instead-of-100


----------



## Gypsi (Mar 27, 2011)

well I got over the EFB. I melted all the wax, ate all the honey, torched the inside of the boxes and medicated the bees. I also never stole comb from an old dead bee tree again. As far as I know no one else in bee club ever got EFB, but someone was asking whether club members or anyone gave away comb, they sure didn't in 2011/2012 or I wouldn't have been using bee tree comb and made my bees sick. 

I am not sure I want to try any vinegar. I did spray the combs down with BT, and I lined my chest freezer with a plastic bird seed bag, but if I put 80% acetic acid in there it will peel the paint off my freezer. I'm just gunning for shb and wax moth, I can plug the freezer in for 2 days after I have tracked down the rest of the frames. (ladies are cleaning them) 

still it is good to know. I am just not sure where I would store them to use it. don't want it in the house either, or a really enclosed shed with a sheet metal over 3/4 decking floor..... but good to know. will think on it.


----------



## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

FlowerPlanter said:


> I use "food grade glacial acetic acid" for storing comb for any period of time (same ingredient as vinegar). It kills many bee diseases, wax moths, beetles and keep mice out. I Just stack about 5 or 6 boxes and put 1/2 cup soaked rag across the top bars of the top box, tape the seams if there are gaps. (outside as the vinegar smell can be strong, make sure to use gloves and glasses).


How often do you need to "refresh" the GAA?


----------



## laketrout (Mar 5, 2013)

Good question , from what I'm reading on here one treatment of 1/2 cup of 80 % acetic will protect a stack of deep box's from wax moth from late fall until box's are needed in the spring , also would a 1/4 cup of acetic be enough for a stack of medium supers , maybe flower planter or others using acetic for wax moth for storage could chime in and see if this is correct .


----------



## laketrout (Mar 5, 2013)

Just checked on a stack of 6 medium boxes that i treated two weeks ago with acetic acid and I have live wax worms of all stages even in the top box right under the 80% acetic acid , maybe i didnt do this right I assumed it would kill wax moth in any stage so these frames were not frozen prior to acetic acid treatment , does anyone know where i went wrong , also I used a rag soaked in 1/2 cup of 80 % and place on top of the frames , these frames with the acid right on them had live wax worms in them .


----------



## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

laketrout said:


> Just checked on a stack of 6 medium boxes that i treated two weeks ago with acetic acid and I have live wax worms of all stages even in the top box right under the 80% acetic acid , maybe i didnt do this right I assumed it would kill wax moth in any stage so these frames were not frozen prior to acetic acid treatment , does anyone know where i went wrong , also I used a rag soaked in 1/2 cup of 80 % and place on top of the frames , these frames with the acid right on them had live wax worms in them .


Your strong vinegar (aka - acetic acid) simply evaporated.
What did you expect?


If you use it - need to immediately and tightly wrap the protected boxes so to keep the acid vapor inside the enclosure.
Otherwise, it is pointless.


----------



## laketrout (Mar 5, 2013)

Greg I sealed every seam with masking tape , is that not sufficient


----------



## Steve in PA (Jan 26, 2015)

laketrout said:


> Greg I sealed every seam with masking tape , is that not sufficient


What about putting them in a garbage bag and then sealing the bag?


----------



## laketrout (Mar 5, 2013)

have you used the garbage bag with acetic acid , id like to know how it worked


----------



## little_john (Aug 4, 2014)

I've taken to hanging-up spare drawn brood frames in the roof-space of a greenhouse (above head height) - plenty of light and ventilation up there. Not a single case of wax-moths yet, although I have several boxes of comb cut-offs on the floor which I'm sure are a breeding-ground for 'em. Which reminds me, I really must dump those out ...
LJ


----------



## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

laketrout said:


> Greg I sealed every seam with masking tape , is that not sufficient


I have seen demo where the vinegar does work.
But - they used plastic shrink-wrap and did a good job wrapping.
This included the very tight top and bottoms too.
I still think you are missing a tight seal.


----------



## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

little_john said:


> .....plenty of light and ventilation .......LJ


Also - add to this too cold, too hot, and just the outside elements in general.

This early spring I scrounged a batch of free frames - terribly infested by the moths, hence there were free (because the owner kept them in a heated, dark garage and thereby bred a nice moth population). 
I promptly set out this entire batch outside - into the cold rain and wind - "de-mothing" job was promptly done.

Basically, keeping the stock completely *outside *- all it takes (maybe resemblance of some roof to protect the frame wood from direct precipitation).
People are hung up on "protecting" their precious comb, thereby doing everything possible to destroy them.


----------



## Honeyeater (Jun 21, 2020)

laketrout said:


> Greg I sealed every seam with masking tape , is that not sufficient


Masking tape doesn’t always have a long lasting reliable adhesive.


----------



## laketrout (Mar 5, 2013)

Im going to try a couple bags and see if that works , I have no way of storing them outside with all the bears we have heck they went inside my lean-to off the back of the shop and helped themselves to my comb one year I have no choice it has to go inside !!!


----------



## laketrout (Mar 5, 2013)

My 55 gal drum liners aren't big enough for my supers to fit into , does anyone know where you can get bags big enough to put 6 medium supers in .


----------



## LarryBud (Jul 19, 2020)

They make salvage drum (which is used in environmental clean ups) liners that are 110 gallon which would be pricey. Salvage drums are used on cleanup or recoveries to put compromised 55 gal drums in, seal and ship for remediation. Your best bet is to google 'large trash bags' and the shopping link with give you commercial supplier for 95-110 gallon heavy trash bags from U-line and others. They run about $20 for 15, about a $1.30 each. Good luck!


----------



## laketrout (Mar 5, 2013)

thanks Larry i will check it out


----------

