In a message dated 8/15/99 7:20:46 PM Pacific Daylight Time, Al Boehm,
[log in to unmask] writes:

<< And now for the question, has anyone successfully used the bees
 themselves to clean up the moth larve? Is it possible to say put a strong
 hive over these brood boxes and let the bees clean it up. I know they
 will repair the comb damage from past experience, I guess also that I may
 be wishing for too much from all my friends in the hives.  Any responces
 on this idea will be most welcome. >>


    I do it all the time.  I don't know if it makes a lot of difference, but
I take each frame that has any webbing, clean it off by hand a bit, so the
bees don't get tangled in it.  Then I rap on it a few times with a hive tool,
or rap the frame on the truck bed. The wax worms that are drummed out will
fall off the frame, and this gets rid of quite a few (I give them to my
friends who have time to fish). I figure that gives the bees less work to do.

   Otherwise, make sure it's a strong hive - good housekeepers....a weak hive
in hot weather will get overwhelmed and you'll lose a hive.

Dave Green    Hemingway, SC   USA
The Pollination Home Page:     http://www.pollinator.com
The Pollination Scene:   http://users.aol.com/pollinator/polpage1.html

Jan's Sweetness and Light Shop    (Varietal Honeys and Beeswax Candles):
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