Ah, the wax moth, truly one of the beekeeper's best friends.  It  demolishes
old brood combs that might otherwise be a source of various diseases,
including foul brood. It accelerates the demise of colonies that have been  weakened
through pests and diseases and generally leaves the environment  healthier for
other bees in the area.

It prefers to chomp through old brood comb as it has more protein from old
cocoons but seems to manage on less palatable wax also.  Generally it can  be
kept in reasonable proportions by the use of queen excluders, by exposing
combs off the hive to winter cold  (or a session in a freezer before  wrapping in
a plastic sack) and by strong healthy colonies.

Chris

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