[c10250]

Has anyone sprayed BT on frames prior to using them as swarm traps? I'm going to set an old box out with some old frames. I was thinking of soaking the whole thing in BT priro to putting it out. I will be using LGO and a pheromone lure.

Ken

 

[BEES4U]

Has anyone sprayed BT on frames prior to using them as swarm traps? I'm going to set an old box out with some old frames. I was thinking of soaking the whole thing in BT priro to putting it out. I will be using LGO and a pheromone lure.

Ken

Spraying,misting, the frames with Bt var a is more effective than soaking.
LGO is ok. I drop all my old queens into rubbing alcohol. Later on I insert a Q-tip and then drop it into the bait hive.
It helps to get the bait hive about 3' to 4' off the ground too.
Ernie

 

[Chick]

What is BT?

 

[Jeffzhear]

I just stick a little piece of comb by heating it with a heat gun on the top-inside of the box prior to hanging the box. I don't use Bt and don't think wax moths will do much to that comb in the swarm catching box during May and June when swarms are most valuable. If they do get in the boxes later, cut the little piece of comb out, and stick a new one in next year. This is assuming you don't get a swarm in the box. If you do, you'll cut the comb out and put it in a frame anyway and the bees will police the wax moths.

Also, I was reminded by a friend a few months back that BT use for application on honeybee comb is not legal in some states, at least one of the ones I keep bees in.

Q-tip with 3 or 4 drops of lemongrass oil in the box during the swarm season, like someone else said.

 

[c10250]

What is BT?

Anthrax for wax moth larvae. It's considered organic, FWIW.

 

[WLC]

Sundance posted this link recently in his xentari thread:

http://strawberry.ifas.ufl.edu/chemicalinfo/xentari.pdf

Bt var. a, also known as Bacillus thuringiensis aizawai or Bta.

It's a spore forming bacillus that also produces a toxic crystal that ruptures the lining of the digestive tract of target pests when ingested.

There's other Bt varieties as well: Btk, Bti, ...

 

[Jeffzhear]

"Sundance posted this link recently in his xentari thread:http://strawberry.ifas.ufl.edu/chemicalinfo/xentari.pdf" .

So, my question, is it legal in NY and/or PA to use on Honeycomb or not? I read through the link once and I'm a Beekeeper not a pesticide scientist. Someone net it out for me, pulease?

 

[BEES4U]

Here you go--
Some good reading on a Sunday afternoon.
http://www.entomology.wisc.edu/mbcn/fea207.html
Ernie

 

[WLC]

http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/27737.html

00275 00085 XENTARI BIOLOGICAL INSECTICIDE

Xentari seems to be registered O.K.

You might want to contact the Cornell Cooperative extension folks to check on the comb application.