Wax Moth Removal System - Pictures!

[reinbeau]

Somehow three supers were left in our living room after extracting last year, where we stored stuff before it went downstairs.  Well, it takes a long time for things to go downstairs around here  :roll:  I decided to clean out the room so I could put up my Christmas tree.  There was a telescoping top on the top of the three supers.  I pulled it off and OMG, the frames had been invaded with wax moths!  Absolutely yuck!



Our fellow beeks here will recognize a complete disaster - all of the wax has been eaten, that's all black frass, these things have been having a field day.  I can't believe that was in the living room - we don't use the room, but still, eeeew!  Please don't judge my housekeeping, I really do have a clean house - the beekeeping stuff has gotten quite a bit out of control, that ends today!  If I hadn't removed that cover I never would have found this mess, it seals things up very well. 

Anyways, of course I immediately knew what the best answer was to this yucky problem - I had fifteen worm gourmets in the backyard who would be more than happy to help us clean this mess up.  We put it all into a huge plastic bag and carried it out to them:





Here you can see the larvae, they're greyish-white, all different sizes:



They went wild.  Good protein boost for them!

[Natalie]

I can attest to Ann's housekeeping, she has a nice clean house and a beautiful yard to boot. I think we all have trouble finding places to put all this beekeeping equipment unless you have a warehouse and stuff happens.
I have recieved 12 huge boxes this week already and I have no idea where I am going to put it all.

Out of curiosity, do you think the moths were already in the frames when you took them in the house or did they get into them later.
I am just wondering if they can get to them in the house.

[reinbeau]

Oh, Natalie, thank you for your kind words - this totally grosses me out!!!  One of the supers actually had nothing in it but frames - we had put twoextracted supers on top, so no doubt the larvae were in there  and we just hadn't noticed them.  I bought that BT Zetari specifically for the wax moths, obviously I was a little too late - hopefully we can save the drawn comb we have downstairs!

[Frantz]

I love to see wax moths suffering a horrible death!!!! :evil:
YEA!!
Got get'em girls I hope they enjoy their feast.
I hate moths!!! I hate em, I hate em!!

[mudlake]

Nice Chicks.  Tony

[Cindi]

Oh Ann, eeeww, ain't the word for it.  I saw that too when we got that used beekeeping equipment last summer, I dumped everything out at the guys shack, then took it home, eeeew!!!  Those larvae are monsterous in size!!!

Loved looking at your chickens doing their chicky thing, they look like they are having the time of their life, and I loved to see your birds, you been a good mother raising them as you have!!!  Beautiful day, great life and happiness, health.  Cindi

[JP]

I can envision your chickens in slow motion biting down on the cocoons as they squirt their juices all over the place, ripping wax moth heads from their sneaky scum filled bodies, your chickens having a feast, frenzied, ripping wax moth limbs from limbs, only dreaming and wishing I was one of your chickens, at least until the carnage was complete.


...JP

[Cindi]

Oh JP, are you OK?  Hee, hee, beautiful and most awesome day, Cindi

[woodchopper]

Looks like we're only going to lose 10 frames out of everything. Most of it cleaned up pretty good after the girls were done feasting. Won't make that mistake again :shock: :shock:

[annette]

I can envision your chickens in slow motion biting down on the cocoons as they squirt their juices all over the place, ripping wax moth heads from their sneaky scum filled bodies, your chickens having a feast, frenzied, ripping wax moth limbs from limbs, only dreaming and wishing I was one of your chickens, at least until the carnage was complete.


...JP

Passionate, very passionate. You sure do dream in a big way!!

[reinbeau]

I can envision your chickens in slow motion biting down on the cocoons as they squirt their juices all over the place, ripping wax moth heads from their sneaky scum filled bodies, your chickens having a feast, frenzied, ripping wax moth limbs from limbs, only dreaming and wishing I was one of your chickens, at least until the carnage was complete.


...JP

Very close to how I felt, JP, while I was feeding them to the chooks - later on in the afternoon I retrieved the frames and supers and noticed two frames that were still stuck in the super.  I pried them loose and found even more!  I called the girls over and pointed to them, and they went wild again.  Then I went through each frame before putting it back into the super and found more cocoons - I'd point to one, and a beak would peck....and so on.  Very satisfying for both birds and me!  :evil:

[bassman1977]

Sounds like you were luckier than you think.  When my dad was keeping bees, he stored his supers in the basement unprotected.  I don't think he realized that wax moths would invade them.  Anyway, they were all over the place.  Up on the first floor, in food, etc.  Pretty nasty when opening a box of Lucky Charms only to find that there is added protein in a wormy form.   :-D

[JP]

Sounds like you were luckier than you think.  When my dad was keeping bees, he stored his supers in the basement unprotected.  I don't think he realized that wax moths would invade them.  Anyway, they were all over the place.  Up on the first floor, in food, etc.  Pretty nasty when opening a box of Lucky Charms only to find that there is added protein in a wormy form.   :-D

If they are in your cereal they are Indian meal moths, I can handle Indian meal moths, as for waxmoths, they have no place on this earth if I had a say in the matter, I hate them with a passion.


...JP

[Doby45]

I'd point to one, and a beak would peck....and so on.

That is the funniest thing I have read on the interwebz today.  Trained chicken mercenaries..

[dpence]

Awesome idea, nasty ole wax moths...take that!

I can remember cleaning the cocoons from the frames....ugh!  Hadn't thought of feeding them to our chickens...LOL.

David 

[BBees]

I've been telling my wife we need a few chickens, too! This post may just push her to agree!

Thanks, Steve

[Lone]

Those pictures are hilarious.  Thanks for sharing your solution with us!

Lone

[sc-bee]

 Wax moth larvae, Chicken Feed ----- also great Panfish bait. Daughter caught a 6 1/2 pound largemouth on one a couple of years ago!!!

[Jim134]

 It is about 10 F outdoors today not wax moths in my supers are out in the tool shed   :-D



        BEE HAPPY Jim 134  :)