Yellow Worms?????

[JordanM]

Well i went out to some of my used equipment and this is what i found in them:

http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/9308/dsc00549ky3.th.jpg (http://img369.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00549ky3.jpg)

http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/959/dsc00550av2.th.jpg (http://img369.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00550av2.jpg)

At first thought i thought they were wax moth, but all the pictures of wax moth are white and these are a bright yellow to green color.

Sorry, i couldnt get any better pictures, need to get a new camera.

Does anyone know what they could be?

[Derek]

I think they are meal worms.

http://www.wildworldsupplies.co.uk/images/mealworm.gif

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mealworm

[JordanM]

Nope, they are a little lighter in color, I use meal worms to go fishing with.

[Gene Weitzel]

They look like wax moth larvae to me. I have seen them in shades from grey to yellow to white.

[JordanM]

Ya, i thought they might be. Is there a way to get rid of them or just to prevent them?

[Brent Bean]

This is a copy of the post in the For Sale section of this forum. Form a guy known as Sundance.
I first tried Certan form Bee Works and I can say spray your comb and never worry about Wax moths again . Sundance sells the powdered form which if kept sealed will last for years and is a lot cheaper than the liquid form that Bee Works sells
The stuff really works as advertised. :) The bees jump into it faster than stored comb treated with wax moth crystals.


This is a powdered form of Bt aizawai which
is the same as Certan/B401. It only takes 4
teaspoons to make a gallon of spray and
there is an indefinite shelf life on this
form prior to mixing. In short, 1/2 pound of
powder will make 32 gallons of spray or more!

Cost is:

$15.00 for 1/4#

$25.00 for 1/2#

$38.50 for 1#

Quantities less than 1# are in zip
locks with lot # and a copy of the insert.
The 1# and 1/2# price includes shipping to USA.
1/4# is shipped first class postage.

Payment can be check or PayPal. PM me with
your PayPal ID and I will send you an invoice.
Please include your shipping address in the
PM. No charges will be made until the day
the Xentari is shipped.Checks may be held
until cleared, money order, or PayPal
ensures immediate shipping.

Disclaimer.... I am not suggesting that you use this product in any other way than what it is labeled for. Follow label instructions provided.

[JordanM]

So this powder will get rid of wax moths that you already have if you mix it up spray on the comb and put back. And they will leave or die?

[aszalan]

So this powder will get rid of wax moths that you already have if you mix it up spray on the comb and put back. And they will leave or die?
yes it will get ride of the wax moth larvae that you have already, and it will kill them.
here is its mode of action
http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/ent/biocontrol/pathogens/bacteria.html
The toxic crystal Bt protein in commercial formulations is only effective when eaten by insects with a specific (usually alkaline) gut pH and the specific gut membrane structures required to bind the toxin. Not only must the insect have the correct physiology and be at a susceptible stage of development, but the bacterium must be eaten in sufficient quantity. When ingested by a susceptible insect, the protein toxin damages the gut lining, leading to gut paralysis. Affected insects stop feeding and die from the combined effects of starvation and tissue damage. Bt spores do not usually spread to other insects or cause disease outbreaks on their own as occurs with many pathogens.

[JordanM]

Thanks if it gets any worse i will be sure to get some.

[Swobee]

We use the Bt from Sundance on drawn wax foundation as an 'ounce of prevention' & apply it to our fruit trees and garden also.

[King bee apiary]

small hive beetle larva.

[JordanM]

there in the equip. that hasnt been used in 15 years so i dont think it is beetle larva. Can i use normal mothballs ontop of my boxes to prevent them or do you need to use paramoth?

[nutso]

Mothballs and Paramoth are not the same. You can buy the paramoth crystals at WalMart for a few dollars.

You might want to think about the long-term proposition of using the crystals. The residue gets into the wax, you have to keep storing your equipment each year with a new supply of crystals, not to mention the smell. With the bt treatment, use of this substance is approved by the organic folks, and it's a one time treatment for the life of the comb. It doesn't smell either.

Just a few observations about each option.

Good luck!

[JordanM]

Would mothballs work though, if i put them on wax paper on the top of the stack?

[riverrat]

I dont use neither. But if I was I would use paramoth before I use moth balls. IMO Put the frames in the deep freeze for 24 hours it will kill off the wax moth eggs and larva. By the time you send payment and wait for it to arrive the Wax moths will wreck your comb.