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Tue, 7 Sep 1999 14:35:24 -0400 |
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ACB Dept., Univ of Michigan |
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Glen Glater wrote:
> I have a living (albeit weak, with apparently no queen) hive that is
> infested with waxmoth larvae and pupae at all developmental stages. I
> presume that there are eggs too, since there are varying instars of
> larvae.
>
> What can I do to kill of these moth beasts without killing the bees in
> the hive? I'm guessing that the hive is too weak to overwinter anyway,
> but I'd rather not hasten their demise.
It has often been stated here that moths are not the problem, but are a
symptom of the problem. And what a symptom they are! You need to
determine what happened to your colony that weakened it to the point where
the moths moved in. Do you have AFB, varroa, a long-standing queenless
condition that has deteriorated into laying workers - or what? From your
description of the colony, I would not think it worth trying to save it.
If it has AFB, just destroy it now by burning to get rid of the disease,
moths and contaminated equipment. I guess I might give the same advice if
varroa has gotten it so out of hand, although you might save some frames
with honey by freezing them. I would still burn the badly moth-infested
frames and scorch the chambers.
Ted Fischer
Dexter, Michigan USA
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