Wax Moths

[snl]

Found a way to keep those pesky wax moths out of stored supers w/o the use of chemicals. I keep my supers in the garage. I slightly elevate the supers (about a cinder block high off the floor) and stack them about 5 or 6 mediums high. On the top super, I place one of those box fans that you can get at Walmart for about $15, so that it lays flat on the top super forcing air down thru the supers and out the bottom. I leave it running on medium the entire time the supers are stored. It seems that the air flowing down thru the supers keeps the wax moths away. I've done this now for 4 years.........and no wax moth problems! Works on old brood boxes/combs as well

Try it .......it only costs pennies a month to run the fan(s) if you've multiple stacks...

[AmericasBeekeeper]

or you could stack them out in the sun and fresh air!

[Solomon Parker]

That's an interesting idea. I've been keeping them on all year.

As far as cost goes, my numbers aren't coming up the same as yours. I just went and tested one of those Walmart box fans and found it to be running at 75 watts on medium. 75 watts for six months at 11 cents per kWh comes up to about $36 which is a far cry from pennies per month.

[snl]

How does stacking them in the sun & fresh air help?

[AmericasBeekeeper]

wax moths live in the dark like mushrooms

[snl]

wax moths live in the dark like mushrooms

But if they are stacked, they are still in the dark.....

[AmericasBeekeeper]

cross stack them side to end

[snl]

That's an interesting idea. I've been keeping them on all year.

As far as cost goes, my numbers aren't coming up the same as yours. I just went and tested one of those Walmart box fans and found it to be running at 75 watts on medium. 75 watts for six months at 11 cents per kWh comes up to about $36 which is a far cry from pennies per month.

I'm guessing you could turn the fan on low and/or possibly put it on a timer to conserve electricity......... I dunno....................

[Solomon Parker]

On low, it would cost $30. I'm not challenging the method, I'm challenging the assertion that it would cost "pennies a month." As the moderator, I must assure that no one is receiving assuredly false information.

On a personal level though, I need to be shown that the $36 expense per fan is more justified than the $0 I currently expend in keeping my wax moth free. I've already met a lot of resistance here to leaving boxes on hives year 'round even though my results are as good as anyone's. It seems to me that in the wild, bees leave their supers on year 'round, so I'm not sure why they need to be removed.

[snl]

Small hive beetles.............

[Solomon Parker]

I thought this thread was about wax moths.

[snl]

I thought this thread was about wax moths.

It is. I've kept my supers on hives and had them invaded by SHB, that's why I remove and store them......

[fish_stix]

I live in the SHB Kingdom: Florida. Keeping supers on bees does not attract SHB; honey and pollen attracts SHB. They may crawl over an empty super but they're headed for frames that have stored honey and pollen. They don't lay eggs in empty frames; they lay eggs in frames with honey and pollen in them. We keep some empty supers on year round and have no more problem with SHB or wax moths in them than if they were stored in the barn. If you have strong hives to set them on, then on top of a hive is the safest place to store supers.

[snl]

Thanks! Do you leave the supers on over a QE or IC or ????

[Solomon Parker]

I do not use inner covers or queen excluders. At all.

[lcl]

Small hive beetles.............

Is that the only reason? If yes, I am good shape as we do not have them in Northern California. At least for now...

[snl]

I do not use inner covers or queen excluders. At all.

So, you just extract and put the supers back on top of your strong hives and store the supers from the not so strong hives? On you stored supers, how do you keep the wax moths at bay?

[Solomon Parker]

I'm not sure how you define 'not so strong hives' but I generally put them back on pretty evenly. I haven't had any problems even on weak hives. They only need to protect them until it freezes, then freezing carries them over into spring. However, you probably don't have quite as much freezing as I do. But bees are generally pretty good at keeping comb safe. The only time I have had comb lost to wax moths was when I tried to store it inside. Moths seem to pop up pretty rapidly.

[fish_stix]

Thanks! Do you leave the supers on over a QE or IC or ????

I don't use excluders any longer, and I've never even owned an inner cover. Wouldn't know what to do with them! After extracting honey we stack the empties on pallets and set them out near one of our beeyards. They're cleaned up in a day by the bees. Then we put them back on hives or store with Paramoth crystals.

[PatBeek]

wax moths live in the dark like mushrooms

So what about a top bar hive that's in the hot Florida sun from about 8 am til about 1 pm?

Is it light itself or the heat as well?

A beek friend of mine claims having his hives in the full sun prevents the wax moths.....and he's also in Florida.