Will Spraying BT on Foundation and Plastic frames work for Wax Moths?

[FlowerPlanter]

Will spraying BT on foundation and waxed plastic frames work for Wax Moths?

Will the bees still draw it out just as good?

[indypartridge]

I've never had a problem with wax moths going after foundation, or even comb that's ONLY had honey in it. Wax moths strongly prefer brood comb - it's the larval casings they want.

[Ravenseye]

I would imagine that they would draw it just fine. As mentioned, there's no need to spray foundation. It's really brood comb that the wax moths go after.

[FlowerPlanter]

I was thinking more along the line of furture protection. I spay the foundation and undrawn plastic, bee build on it and it would be safe from wax moths?

I do realize that the wax moth would have to eat the foundation and not the new wax to be killed by the BT.

[rweakley]

I think you would get more efficacy from spray the frames after the comb has been drawn out. What makes BT work is when the freshly hatched larva take a bite of comb and then the bacteria does something to kill them. So if it's sprayed on the foundation the chances of them getting a bite of BT are less than if you spray it after its drawn out. I don't spray my frames unless they are going into storage. If you keep frames on a strong enough hive the bees will protect them. I don't even keep track of which frame has been sprayed, because it's so cheap that if they are going into storage i just spray them again even though it's supposed to last pretty much forever.

Rod

[Ravenseye]

BT won't be effective after comb has been built out. At least that's my experience.