Wax Moths/Worms

[bassman1977]

I was cleaning some stuff in my beekeeping closet and found that my nuc, which contained two frames of drawn comb and three frames of undrawn duragilt, was infested with wax worms.  The duragilt was fine.  It was the drawn comb that was infested.  I'm sure it was the drawn comb that caused the problem since obviously that was what was outside.  I have eight mediums with undrawn foundation in that closet also (which were fine with the exception of worm turds on the frame bars).  I put the two frames in the freezer to kill the worms (not going fishing anytime soon :-( ).

I guess my questions are:

1.  The drawn foundations are pretty much destroyed and should be thrown out/melted down, correct?  No chance of salvaging them and hope the bees can repair the damage?

2.  Should I have any more issues since I made sure the worms were gone?  There are no wax moths flying around my basement.  It's the wax moths that lay the eggs?

Thanks.

[Michael Bush]

>I'm sure it was the drawn comb that caused the problem since obviously that was what was outside.

Drawn comb is much more interesting to the wax moths  ESPECIALLY if it has cocoons in it and even more espeically if it has pollen in it.

>I have eight mediums with undrawn foundation in that closet also (which were fine with the exception of worm turds on the frame bars). I put the two frames in the freezer to kill the worms

I have seen the worms eat foundation, but not often. I've seen them eat blocks of wax, but only the outsides.

>1. The drawn foundations are pretty much destroyed and should be thrown out/melted down, correct? No chance of salvaging them and hope the bees can repair the damage?

That depends on the damage.  If there is a little bit of localized damage I sometimes just cut that area out and let the bees rebuild (after freezing to kill the worms).  If there is a lot of webs then I'd cut the whole comb out and throw it away.

>2. Should I have any more issues since I made sure the worms were gone?

As long as there are bees there will be wax moths.  They are thickest in the fall and the least from the first hard freeze until about the middle of summer.

>There are no wax moths flying around my basement.

I bet there are, you just haven't seen them yet.  :)

> It's the wax moths that lay the eggs?

Yes.


Thanks.

[qa33010]

Well thanks Michael for answering what I was getting ready to post!!!

    Killed two wax moths on the inside corner of robber screen.  Both looked pretty beat up, but they don't have to worry about that or anything anymore.

David