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Has anyone ever tried vacuum sealing a super (or maybe just the frames) to control wax moths over the winter? Like in one of those Space Bag things (if they make them big enough)? I'm thinking as an alternative to mothballs (yuck) or PDB. If the moths do hatch, I thought that maybe the lack of oxygen might do them in before they got the chance to do much damage.
Hi Splatt,
Aren't you also sealing in the moisture?
Linn
Good point. Add a reusable moisture absorber? I'm just thinking out loud...Quote:
Originally Posted by linn
i was thinking about making some bags out of mosquito netting. take them right out of the freezer, close 'em up, and stack them cross ways to each other.
All winter long I put 3 to 4 frame in an upright freezer. After the frames have been in the freezer for 3 or 4 days, I take the frames out and return the frames to the stack. I continue this process until all the frames in the stack have been in the freezer. I store the frames in the garage in supers. I separate the supers with plywood, outer covers or the steel tops of the outer covers. This is a very long process. A friend of mine asked me why I was doing this. I cannot remember how cold or how long the frames need to be in the deep freeze to kill wax moths. We will be having some very cold weather. The suggestion given to me by my friend was to put those supers with the frames outside for a period of time once the temperature drops. I cannot remember how cold or for how long. The deep freeze will come. linn
Freezing will kill eggs/larvae. Of course. Don't forget that if the combs get exposure to sunlight then the moths won't lay their eggs there. Some people store them outside while not in use.
As for absorbing moisture in the sealed bag, I would use rice. Silica gel says do not eat on the package. Honey does not.
Also you could close up the bag, not vacuum seal though, and fill the bag with CO2. This process is used in processing foods to preserve them.
I have been freezing my frames for several days and then sealing them in a big ziploc bag I bought from the Dollar Tree. The xxl bag will store 10 small super frames. Once you kill everything off with freezing, sealing in the bag keeps anything out.
No kidding? I need to swing by Dollar Tree in the next week, or so.Quote:
Originally Posted by jdmidwest
How much $ are those zip locks from the dollar tree?
Wonder how practical that would be for my 300 supers.? :rolleyes:
EastSideBuzz you live in a cold climate. Why do you need to seal your supers in plastic? linn
Everything is a dollar at Dollar Tree. They are near the laundry supply area or on an endcap. There are several sizes, the big one comes one to a package. 24" x 20" heavy mil plastic with zip seal and a handle. It is made to store clothing in. They have vac bags too that you suck the air out with a vac cleaner.Quote:
Originally Posted by sfisher
I planned on dropping a mothball in there for good measure.
I was given a tip by my local apiary to store my frames "wet" and to not let the bees clean any honey off of them. After spinning my frames I put them back into a deep and enclosed it all into several large garage bags and sealed that with duct tap. I then stored the entire thing over winter in my cold storage under my house.
When it came time to give my bees a honey super I simply unwrapped it, place it on the hive, and the bees went to work. Strangely enough, out of my 5 hives, this hive was the quickest to fill with honey. Coincidence...maybe?
But it did keep wax moths and any other pests out of the frames and the moisture didn't seem to be a problem...I did this again this year and will retest my results to see if it was just a one-off coincidence.
I do like the idea, however, of adding rice. I may open her up and add a mesh media bag full of rice just to be safe.