<waxmoth> 22dec95 0852
"Waxmoth Ideas 4 Beeginners"
A. BROODCHAMBERS
1. Wax moths never appear in s t r o n g hives; that is,
they take over only weak and failing colonies.
2. For such colonies, DON'T WAIT. Combine them immediately w/
strong ones, using newspaper method.
3. If a hive has died and the wax moths have not yet taken
over, disburse the hive bodies (mine are alldoublebrooded)
among strong colonies (U now have triple-brooded ones)..
4. If the hive is discovered too late (advanced stages of
waxmoth), I remove frames, set them out in the open for
other bees to capture any available honey. If available
comb is present, I run them, frame in all, in my solar wax
melter to rescue the wax (comes out 99.9% clean the first
time around). If the comb is not salvageable, I cut it
out w/ kitchen knife, burn it, and sterilize the frames w/
a propane torch B4 using again.
(I don't think you'll find this in any books; however,
maybe I've reinvented the wheel?)
B. SUPERS (Temperature range, central Maryland: 0-95oF.)
1. MT supers w/ drawn comb are highly susceptible to wax-moth
infestation.
2. For year-round storage until ready for use, I stack them
10 high (I use shallow supers only in my operation, NOT
mediums or deeps), each two divided by a sheet ofnewspaper.
Each two receive one tablespoon of paradichlorobenzene (PDB
crystals and NOT napthalene mothballs) sprinkled over the
top one before covered w/ newspaper. (It goes w/o saying
that there should be no cracks present in the stack. Use
duct tape if necessary.)
3. Wax moth eggs, always present, never hatch out in them.
Before using them, I air them out in the sun for several
hours or until the smell has disappeared.
4. In the winter time, extra shallows w/ drawncomb are stored
on top of my living hives, two per hive, just above the
inner cover on a doublebrooded colony and just below the
outer cover. This is my preference.
5. About April 1, I like to get all supers back on all hives
(up to three per hive--I don't own more than 30 shallow
supers w/ drawn comb). I check them for filling about once
weekly and switch them about as necessary, so that by
extracting time, mid-June, some hives will have no supers
while others three. (Only wildflower honey, usually tulip
poplar, sometimes black locust or mixed--these trees bloom
here from 1may to 1 jun. And that's the end of the
honeyflow for the year. Jack the B-Man MX&HNY (mixhoney?)
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