Wax moth Ognevka: how to fight

Keeping bees is not only a hobby and obtaining delicious nectar, but also hard work, since hives are often infected with various diseases. Wax moth is a common pest that causes great damage to apiaries. The moth itself is harmless; the larvae pose the greatest threat. They eat honeycombs, honey, bee bread, propolis and spoil bee cocoons. When a wax moth appears in a hive, the swarm immediately leaves its home.

What is "wax moth"

The wax moth is a moth-like, nocturnal moth from the Ognevok family, with which beekeepers fight annually.

The life cycle of an insect consists of 4 stages:

• egg;
• caterpillar;
• chrysalis;
• adult.

Attitudes towards this insect vary. Some fight it, others deliberately breed it. This is explained by the fact that the larvae, eating the bee product, absorb all the useful substances.As a result, the insect becomes useful and can save you from many ailments. But to make a natural cure, an entire hive must be sacrificed. Only industrial farms can raise caterpillars; mostly beekeepers wage a merciless fight against this insect.

What does a wax moth look like?

In nature there are 2 types:

1. Great wax moth - a large insect, with a wingspan of 3.5 cm. The front pair of wings is dark yellow, the hind ones are beige.
2. Lesser wax moth – the wingspan is 2.5 cm; the front wings are gray-brown, the hind wings are dirty white.

In an adult, the oral organs are not developed, so it does no harm. Her role is to continue the family line. The larvae, on the contrary, eat everything in their path, even their own excrement, filling themselves up for life.

Wax moth larvae

The caterpillar develops in 4 days. When hatched, it reaches a length of 1 mm, has 16 legs and a pair of bristles on the back side. After birth, she is inactive, feeding on honey and pollen. Then it begins to actively move and eat everything in its path.

A light white caterpillar with a dark head makes its way along the edges of honeycombs and in the walls of open cells. Over the entire life cycle, an adult larva eats up to 1.3 g of wax. On the one hand, this is not so much, but 3 generations of 5 pairs of moths can destroy up to 500 kg of land per season.

If a pest has settled in a bee house, then queen bee will stop laying eggs and bees will stop producing honey. When an insect appears, the bees begin to fight it, but in just a few hours there are a lot of parasites and the furry workers miss some clutches. If you do not start a timely fight, the bee colony will leave the hive.

At what temperature does wax moth die?

Since the wax moth is a nocturnal moth, it is afraid of sunlight. This photophobia can be used as insect control. To do this, sushi affected by the larvae is exposed to the sun and after 2-3 minutes the larvae leave their home. If the honeycomb is left at a temperature of 10 ° C, then the large wax moth at all stages of the life cycle will die in an hour and a half.

The small moth causes less damage to honeycombs and develops at a temperature of 30 °C. At temperatures below 16 °C and above 35 °C, the eggs die.

Why is the pest dangerous for bees?

The moth is one of the main pests of the beekeeper, causing great damage to the farm. It affects weak families, incorrectly formed layers and tinder families. At night, the parasite lays eggs, from which voracious larvae emerge, which feed on honey, beebread, hive insulation and honeycombs. They also harm the brood. When the parasite settles, bee colonies begin to get sick and may die or leave their home.

Methods to combat wax moths

Before getting rid of wax moths in hives with bees, you need to know the causes and signs of damage by the parasite.

Signs include:

• decreased productivity;
• bees are lethargic and rarely fly out for nectar;
• cream worms appear at the bottom;
• in the compartments you can find moth feces resembling onion seeds;
• at the bottom of the hive there are a large number of dead bees; when examined, the wings and legs of the insects are shrouded in a thin web;
• If you bring a burning match to the entrance and then gently shake the bee’s home, you can see small larvae at the bottom of the hive.

The following factors can provoke the appearance of parasites:

• failure to maintain cleanliness in the hives;
• weak bee colony;
• high humidity;
• the family was left without a uterus;
• high temperature in the winter hut;
• untimely removal of dead bees in the compartments.

The bee house needs timely cleaning. Often, when cleaning, larvae and wax moth excrement are found in the bee bread; in this case, it is necessary to empty the hive, thoroughly clean and disinfect it.

If a cluster of cobwebs has formed between the honeycombs, it means that the insect has made a nest for itself where it lays eggs. If detected, the honeycombs are removed from the hive, and the site of infection is well treated. In place of the old honeycombs, new ones are installed. You cannot use honeycombs from other bee houses, as they can also be infected with the parasite.

There are several ways to combat wax moths in beehives:

• chemical;
• physical;
• folk remedies.

Preparations for wax moths

Many beekeepers use a chemical method to combat wax moths. The medicine can be purchased at any pharmacy.

1. Formic acid – 14 ml of the drug is used for each body. After 1.5 weeks, the procedure is repeated. The honeycombs are ready for use after 7 days of ventilation.
2. Sulfur gas – per 1 sq. m of premises burn up to 50 g of sulfur. Processing is carried out indoors. Treatment is repeated several times, every 14 days. The drug is harmful to humans, so insect control is carried out using a respirator. Before using the hive, it should be thoroughly ventilated. Sulfur can be harmful to health; no matter how the bees clean the cells, particles of the chemical element still remain. And the persistent smell lingers in the hive for a long time. When collecting honey, there is a possibility of sulfur getting into the bee product.
3. Vinegar – 1 hive requires 200 ml of 80% of the drug. The fight is carried out for 5 days in a row. The honeycombs are ready for use 24 hours after ventilation. Vinegar will not only get rid of insects, but also disinfect the hive.
4. Askomolin – take 10 tablets per frame, wrap them in material and place the house inside; the honeycombs are not removed from the hive. The hive is wrapped in polyethylene and left for a day. The frames are ready for use 24 hours after airing.
5. Paradichlorobenzene (antimol) – the medicine is placed between the frames at the rate of 150 g per cubic meter. The treatment is carried out for 7 days, after which the hive is ventilated for a week.
6. Biosafe – for control, the drug is used in the form of a freshly prepared aqueous suspension. Honey-beebread sushi is sprayed at the rate of 30 ml for each street. The effect occurs within a day, the drug lasts for a year.
7. Entobacterin – the honeycombs are sprayed with 3% of the preparation at the rate of 25 ml per 1 frame at a temperature of 30 °C. The moth begins to eat the wax soaked in the solution and dies. The drug does not harm bees and brood.
8. Thymol – an effective drug for combating moths. The powder is poured into a gauze bag and placed on top of the frame. The treatment is carried out 2 times, but at a temperature of 26 ° C the drug is removed from the hive.

What to do if there are moths in a hive with bees

If white worms appear near the hive, this is the first sign of the presence of wax moths in the hive; the bees begin to fight it on their own. Such a home needs monitoring and treatment. To do this, sweet traps are placed nearby - they attract the parasite, the moths drown in them, not having time to reach the bee’s home.

If the hive is heavily infected, the bee family is moved to another home, adding a small amount of food to the new honeycombs. After the bees move, the bottom is cleared of caterpillars, cobwebs, and other debris and doused with fire. To do this, use a bunch of straw or a blowtorch. The corners, crevices, bottom and tray are treated with fire.

How to deal with wax moths in honeycomb storage

Cell storage is a room for storing spare cells. Every responsible beekeeper should have them. Sometimes they are kept in a cellar, basement or unheated garage. To prevent the appearance of parasites, carry out regular disinfection and prevention against wax moths.

In honeycomb storage facilities, wax moths appear at high temperatures and humidity, as well as poor ventilation.

Stopmol is a common medicine to combat wax moths in honeycomb storage. The preparation consists of small cardboard plates soaked in fir and coriander oil. The medicine has an insecticidal effect and affects moths at different stages of development.

Instructions for fighting wax moths using Stopmol for bees:

1. Affected honeycombs are removed from the hive.
2. Open the package and make 4 holes in the corners of 1 cm in size on each plate.
3. The drug is laid out on honeycomb frames and packed in polyethylene or stored in sealed honeycomb storage containers.
4. To completely get rid of insects, you need to use 1 plate for 12 frames.
5. The course of treatment is 1.5 months, after which the plate is removed and the frames are ventilated.

How to get rid of wax moths on frames

If a mass infestation occurs, it is necessary to immediately begin the fight against the pest. Beekeepers use mechanical, chemical methods or use folk remedies.

How to preserve dry land from wax moths

Particular attention is paid to storing sushi at the end of summer and beginning of autumn. In winter, due to lower temperatures, the likelihood of parasites appearing is minimal. Therefore, in spring and early summer, wax moths do not cause big problems for apiary farming. In the summer, the parasite begins to actively multiply; if prevention is not carried out, the consequences can be disastrous.

Beginning in July, frames must be carefully checked. Dry land where the pest has just started can be rearranged into a strong family or, after isolation, treated against the parasite using one of the proven methods.

To prevent mass infestation, you need to know that wax moths primarily attack frames with brood, as well as large amounts of beebread. Therefore, store frames, where there is never brood, are stored separately. Sushi is stored in empty hives with oilcloth or polyethylene placed between the hives.

Frames for brood and beebread are given special attention: they are regularly inspected and, if necessary, begin timely control of parasites.

How to fight wax moths with folk remedies

Experienced beekeepers do not use chemicals to get rid of wax moths, but fight it with folk remedies. Proven ways to combat wax moths:

1. Tobacco – a powerful natural medicine to combat wax moths.During flowering, the tobacco is cut off at the root and placed between the honeycombs. From one bush there is enough foliage to process 3 buildings.
2. Marigold – flowers are laid out in a honeycomb storage. Their aroma prevents wax moth infestation.
3. Fumigation with smoke - an old proven method of getting rid of wax moths. To do this, the sushi is fumigated with smoke from a smoker. Frames in several tiers are placed in a container lined with tin. Through the lower entrance the space is filled with smoke. The combustion is maintained for a day. This procedure is carried out in spring and late autumn, 3 times with an interval of 7 days. If the honeycombs are infected, the caterpillars will begin to die on the second day of the fight. After the procedure, the frames are ventilated, and furry workers willingly use the treated honeycombs.
4. Sagebrush – the frames in the honeycomb storage are lined on all sides with fresh wormwood. The smell of grass repels parasites.
5. Fragrant herbs – freshly picked mint, wormwood, oregano, hops and walnut leaves are cut and laid out on the bottom of the bee’s home. The frames are installed and another layer of chopped grass is placed on top. Freshly picked aromatic herb is indispensable in the fight against wax moths.
6. Mint infusion – 30 g of herb is diluted in 50 g of boiling water and left overnight. The solution is applied to the streets between the frames. The infusion is harmless to bees. After processing, they work as before, and the butterfly larvae fall off. A week later the procedure is repeated.
7. Garlic – in the fall, before harvesting the honeycombs into the honeycomb storage facility, they are cleaned of propolis and rubbed with garlic. The bodies and empty hive are also treated with garlic. Prevention is repeated in the spring. After treatment, wax moths do not appear in the apiary, the bees are healthy and highly productive.
8. Salt - a folk way to fight moths.For processing, the frames are cleaned, sprayed with saline solution and stored. In the spring, the frames are washed with water and installed in the hives. After the saline solution, parasites do not colonize the bee houses.

Set of preventive measures

To avoid problems, it is necessary to carry out preventive measures:

• keep the apiary and hives clean;
• at the first signs, promptly begin the fight against wax moths in the hive;
• troubleshoot problems in a timely manner: repair frames, seal gaps and cracks;
• keep the wax in a closed container and, if possible, recycle it immediately;
• Store backup cells in a dry, cool, ventilated area.

Experienced beekeepers also plant plants that repel insects next to bee homes. These include:

• mint;
• Melissa;
• marigold;
• sagebrush.

To prevent moths from entering the hive, traps are installed around the perimeter. A mixture of honey, bee bread and yeast is poured into bowls. The moth is also attracted to the smell of vinegar. It is diluted in water and also placed near the home. To prevent the larvae from crawling into a clean hive, a small ditch with water is made around the hive.

Frames should be inspected regularly for the presence of the parasite. When detected, they immediately begin to fight to save the bee family.

Wax attracts wax moths, so you can’t keep supplies where the furry workers live. To protect the hive from the transfer of larvae from one body with dry land to another, place polyethylene, oilcloth or newspaper on the lid (moths are repelled by the smell of printing ink).

Conclusion

Wax moths are a dangerous enemy for apiaries. But if the hives are kept clean and timely preventive measures are taken, the insect will not harm the bees and will not create problems for the beekeeper.

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