Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Bush_84 on March 18, 2013, 12:39:45 am

Title: Old Warre Comb
Post by: Bush_84 on March 18, 2013, 12:39:45 am

So I have some warre boxes of comb.  I don't intend of repopulating it this year.  What do you think I should do with it.  Some of it broke off the top bar so I rubber banded it to a Lang frame.  I have about 5 boxes.  Should I put more of them in Lang frames?  Otherwise I was just going to put them out to maybe entice a swarm.  Anything moth related I should consider if I just leave it in an empty box? 

Title: Re: Old Warre Comb
Post by: bailey on March 18, 2013, 10:57:32 am

If you leave it out get some bt to spray the comb with otherwise wax moth will destroy it. 
Baile

Title: Re: Old Warre Comb
Post by: Bush_84 on March 18, 2013, 11:31:19 am

Quote from: bailey on March 18, 2013, 10:57:32 am

If you leave it out get some bt to spray the comb with otherwise wax moth will destroy it. 
Baile

Do you have a source for the stuff? 

Title: Re: Old Warre Comb
Post by: D Coates on March 18, 2013, 12:21:25 pm

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?225796-Agree-WG-Bt-Aizawai-Powder (http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?225796-Agree-WG-Bt-Aizawai-Powder)  I'm not sure if Sundance is here but he's a good guy to deal with.

Title: Re: Old Warre Comb
Post by: Bush_84 on March 18, 2013, 01:36:21 pm

Quote from: D Coates on March 18, 2013, 12:21:25 pm

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?225796-Agree-WG-Bt-Aizawai-Powder (http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?225796-Agree-WG-Bt-Aizawai-Powder)  I'm not sure if Sundance is here but he's a good guy to deal with.

Awesome.  Does spraying the comb have any issues with enticing a swarm?  Also how long does that last/when to reapply? 

Title: Re: Old Warre Comb
Post by: D Coates on March 18, 2013, 03:03:29 pm

Once it's on it's like little landmines waiting to be triggered by the gut of a wax moth larva.  You can smell it a little when you spray it on but once it's dry it's got no smell I can pick up.  I put it on frames that I'm putting in swarm traps.  You'll see a little webbing here and there where moth larva started but a couple cells away you'll find a desiccated wax moth larva.  It's a fungus spore that dormant but I'm not 100% certain how long it's viable.  I do know it's good for at least a year though.  I've found no trouble with it's use and enticing swarms.  I don't work too hard at attracting swarms though (only one or two a year) but I'll pull these traps from the field for swarms I get calls on.  I use them as catch boxes as my supplies dwindle.  They do just fine.

Title: Re: Old Warre Comb
Post by: Bush_84 on March 18, 2013, 07:22:41 pm

Well maybe I will just leave these warre boxes full of comb.  The more comb the better for enticing a local swarm.  I don't recall seeing honey bees around my house before I kept bees, but maybe I just wasn't watching closely.  I know for a fact that the mayor of my town keeps bees.  So that's something. 

Title: Re: Old Warre Comb
Post by: bailey on March 19, 2013, 12:23:34 am

Just be sure to do the bt thing or get ready to have a hive full of good fish bait.
Bailey