How bees handle wax moth larvae?

[samak]

It is often recommended to combine a weak wax moth infested hive with a strong colony and that will take care of the wax moth problems. If you do follow those instructions, how exactly do the bees deal with the wax moth and their larvae? Do they find and sting all the wax moth larvae? Do the bees chew through the wax into the tunnels of the wax moth larvae to reach them?

[Tillie]

I'm confused - why would you purposely introduce a problem into an otherwise strong hive? I do read that strong hives do a good job of controlling pests like wax moths within their own colony.

I think I would be inclined to take the wax moth infested frames and put them in the freezer, but maybe you mean there's wax moth mess on every frame of the weak hive?

Linda T

[samak]

I'm confused - why would you purposely introduce a problem into an otherwise strong hive? I do read that strong hives do a good job of controlling pests like wax moths within their own colony.
Linda T

I have heard other beekepers say that if you have wax moth in one colony, it means that they are weak. So the solution they say is that by combining the weak colony with a strong colony, the wax moth problem will be under control.

[Michael Bush]

I have seen them chase them, drag them out. I would guess they would also sting them.

[Fusion_power]

Setting a wax moth infested hive on top of a strong colony is not a problem in any way for the large colony. Within 24 hours they will have chased most of the wax moth larvae out of the colony. Some wax moth larvae will be entombed in propolis if they have already formed cocoons. This is a simple and very effective method of dealing with wax moths.

It is very satisfying to sit beside the combined colony and watch the wax moth larvae come rolling out the entrance with bees chasing, biting, and stinging them.

Fusion