Can you identify this larvae?

[John R]

Found this crawling around on a sticky board, what is it?
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...0/P2160003.jpg

[power napper]

Looks like a wax moth. Check inside the hive and look for "cobwebs" and cacoons. If the hive is weak the wax moths will destroy the combs of wax.

[John R]

Wax moth?

[John R]

I'd posted the question "Wax moth?" before seeing your reply....I thought that might be what is was...I checked a couple frames in the hive body and didn't see anything, I'll catch the next warm day and go thru the whole box. Thanks.

[BjornBee]

John, It does look like wax moth. SHB are smaller, more yellowish, and have very distinct ridges. You can see photos and compare at...

http://maarec.cas.psu.edu/pest&disease/pppdIndex.html

[George Fergusson]

It's definitely a lincoln head penny. I see you put a wax moth worm in the picture for scale. Very helpful!

I've found a few wax moth worms and small hive beetles and their larvae under my screens before. I've always wondered how they got there i.e., corralled and chased down there by the bees, or raised there from scratch. Dunno. In any case, I've found SBB's helpful for more than just catching varroa.

[2hives]

I often see wax moth and SHB larvae (adults as well) below my screened bottom boards, but never see any damage from either pest when I examine the combs. I think the girls are taking care of them before they do damage. I also know that the weaker a hive becomes in population, the quicker these 2 pests will start to destroy comb.

[Murphy]

Man, George you are quick. You must be descended from the Irish. I like a good sense of humour.

John R, as 2hives said I see these my hives quite a bit on my SBB. We do not have SHB yet "fingers crossed" so I have allways viewed them as victims of good housekeeping.

Regards,

Kieran

[sqkcrk]

George and 2Hives, do screened bottom boards promote SHB and wax moth? Maybe you should get rid of them? [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Murphy]

sqkcrk,
My hives have only gotten stronger since I went to SBB. I think weak hives are the biggest problem.

Kieran

[sqkcrk]

see smily face. just having fun w/George.

But, I have heard an increase in the reports of wax moth since screened bottom boards came into existence. Maybe they were always there and folks with SBBs are more likely to see the wax moths that have always been there.

[George Fergusson]

>But, I have heard an increase in the reports of wax moth since screened bottom boards came into existence. Maybe they were always there and folks with SBBs are more likely to see the wax moths that have always been there.

I can't say Mark. I remember last summer when I first found 3-4 adult SHB and a bunch of larvae crawling around under the screen of one hive and wondering if they were chased there by the bees or decided all the hive detritus and lack of bees made the area under the screen an ideal place to raise young. I've also found wax moth worms building their web tubes through the wax and pollen under the screen. Unlike the adult SHB, the moths couldn't get in there to lay eggs, so I can only assume the eggs were layed in the hive and the young larvae tossed out by the bees.

In any case, if they're going to be in my hives, under the SBB screen is a good place for them.

[PaulR]

Like George I've found wax moth larva inside the detrius UNDER the SBB, the best place I know to find them. I researched your picture at usmint.gov, George nailed it!

[sqkcrk]

In the spring, March 15 until April 21st or so, I have ample opportunity to see what is on my, nailed on, bottom boards. I don't often find any wax worms. I usually don't find any SHB either. Though, when I first open hives I will sometimes, though rarely, find some SHB on the top bars of the upper deep, just under the migratory cover. And this all occurs in South Carolina.

When I first started seeing SBBs on hives, it was when I was inspecting for NYS. I was curious what I would find in the trays. When I pulled the tray out(sorta like a cafeteria tray) I found pollen pellets and wax worms and caccoons. Since then I've noticed this more often. And others have mentioned it to me too.

Draw your own conclusions. I'm just rep[orting my observations.