Re. Wax Moth Control
 
    Andrew Matheson and Allen Dick referred to the use of CO2 in the control wax
    moth.  For many commercial producers this may not be practical because of
    the need for maintaining high CO2 concentration over a prescribed time
    period.
 
    I remember in the early eighties at the Beaverlodge Research Station in the
    Peace River disrtyict, we used sulphur in controlling wax moth very
    effectively;  In the storage shed, place each bottom super on a couple of
    2x4's, and every super above that at right angles (to ensure maximum
    exposure).  On an old honey barrel lid, place a newspaper and a handful
    (about 1/2 pound) of sulphur crystals.  Light the newspaper, leave the room.
    All windows and spaces underneath doors, etc. should be closed or covered to
    minimize loss of sulphur fumes.
 
    The sulphur will be ignited by the burning newspaper, but it will not flame
    but smoulder and produce quite a smoke.  You just leave it and mostly within
    a day, the gases have escaped and you can walk into the storage room with
    barely noticing a smell of sulphur.    By the way, sulphur is very cheap and
    mostly readily available at agricultural supply outlets as sulphur
    fertilizer.
 
    As far as I recall, tests showed that no residues or resulting agents were
    identified in the honey subsequently produced in those treated frames.  I do
    know that the moths (as well as any mouse population in the storage shed)
    were effectively controlled.
 
    Also, I do not know whether this practise can be considered environmentally
    responsible or pose a threat that I have not identified.  Perhaps someone
    else can shed light on that.
 
    Also, since this involves the control of a pest, the materials and methods
    described would technically require registration and approval.  As we all
    know (just think about the difficulty of getting formic acid approved), the
    approval and registration for the use of any non-proprietary product (=
    cheap, without the potential of huge profits to the manufacturer) is very
    slow indeed.
 
    Paul van Westendorp                         [log in to unmask]
    Provincial Apiarist
    British Columbia