>From: "Steven A. Creasy" <[log in to unmask]>
>Date:         Thu, 3 Apr 1997 21:24:49 EST
>Subject:      Waxmoth in Honey Supers
 
>Do you agree or disagree with the following:
 
>Waxmoth larva generally eat organic matter like the cocoons left in the
>cells of brood comb.
 
They do well on nothing but pollen if you want to rear them. Also can
be used to clean excluders by adding a handful of pollen and letting
nature take it course.
 
>If honey supers are separated from brood boxes by a queen excluder 100%
>of the time, and no brood is ever raised in them, the chance of getting
>waxmoth in them is nil since there is nothing in them of  value to eat.
 
The moths will lay eggs in new comb and will even damage foundation.
You can use wax paper with no beeswax to collect the eggs in a cage.
 
>I shared this view at a local meeting and several of the older beekeepers
>disagreed.  They said that waxmoth will eat *any* comb that does not have
>para crystals on it.  I use all deep supers for brood and all shallow
>supers for honey.  I *always* use a queen excluder, and extract my honey.
> Have I been misinformed?  Feedback appreciated!
 
Well the damage they do to new combs or foundations is not the same as
what they do to dark brood combs, but the old bee men are right with the
exception of the para stuff as it is much easier to keep the combs in a
dark cool room and not use any chemicals. If a beekeeper fumigates his
dead outs and has a water cooler that comes on during to cool nights
it is possible to keep bee combs in storage for years without the use
of chemicals, at least it works here in California. Every climate area
will have a different set of problems and conditions so I can not say
for your area.
                         ttul, the OLd Drone
 
 
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---
 ~ QMPro 1.53 ~ If it isn't borken, don't fix it.