[challenger]

I thought I read here that someone had devised a "system" that all but eradicated wax moths in a bee yard. Like most berks I'll have a dead out, once in a while, where wax moths make a mess of the comb. My main issue is comb that I leave in a deep that been removed from a double, and sometimes, triple, deep hive. Sometimes I'll notice a hive that's swarmed or, for some other reason, isn't populated enough to cover the comb. I'll condense the hive and place the removed deep somewhere and neglect it for a few days and there will be wax moths starting big time.
Does anyone recall reading a post about taking control of the general population in the yard and not just the I inside the hive?
Thanks

 

[Akademee]

There area few method I have used. If the hive is close to your house, putting out a bug zapping lantern works great. During their peak season in my area, I can get one every 15 seconds at night! You can also set up a wax moth trap using a soda bottle with a 1 inch hole cut in the side just where the top taper ends and the straight sides of the bottle start (lid screwed on). Put in a banana peel, 1/4 cup of vinegar, and 1 cup of 1:1 sugar syrup. Hang it in your yard and it will collect wax moths and hornets.

 

[challenger]

There area few method I have used. If the hive is close to your house, putting out a bug zapping lantern works great. During their peak season in my area, I can get one every 15 seconds at night! You can also set up a wax moth trap using a soda bottle with a 1 inch hole cut in the side just where the top taper ends and the straight sides of the bottle start (lid screwed on). Put in a banana peel, 1/4 cup of vinegar, and 1 cup of 1:1 sugar syrup. Hang it in your yard and it will collect wax moths and hornets.

I put up a zapper but it's about 75' from hives. Is that OK?

 

[ericweller]

There area few method I have used. If the hive is close to your house, putting out a bug zapping lantern works great. During their peak season in my area, I can get one every 15 seconds at night

In addition to killing wax moths, bug zappers are killing other insects that some night creatures use for food. Also, I doubt that setting up a bug zapper is going to keep wax moths from moving into an unoccupied hive. The only way to keep wax moths out of your dead-outs is to be vigilant in salvaging a box as soon as you see it is dead.

 

[GregB]

In addition to killing wax moths, bug zappers are killing other insects that some night creatures use for food. Also, I doubt that setting up a bug zapper is going to keep wax moths from moving into an unoccupied hive. The only way to keep wax moths out of your dead-outs is to be vigilant in salvaging a box as soon as you see it is dead.

+1

How does one know the "zapper" is actually killing the wax moth?
One does not.
Maybe one or two incidental kills. Maybe a dozen.
Meanwhile, thousands of innocent victims (including hundreds of other moths, just not the wax moths) are also being killed for nothing all the while the bugs already being in short supply.

Speaking of the collateral damage - these zappers are like a nuclear bomb dropped onto a town because one serial killer is hiding in the area somewhere.