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