Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
moved by the bees. Thus, when finished using a super at the end of a season, those eggs
are still there, but the moth police have gone.
Wax moth adults are around pretty much all year in tropical and semitropical areas,
and most of the year where there are mild winters. In cold climates, wax moths are a
problem only from midsummer until hard frost—outside, that is. Inside the hive is a
different story.
Here is an easy-to-build storage rack for supers when they are not on a colony. This
arrangement allows light and fresh air into the supers, discouraging wax moths from
infesting combs. It also protects them from the elements. It is made of boards, cinder
blocks, and PVC pipe, and could be made longer, taller, wider, or bigger. The supers
are covered with inexpensive corrugated fiberglass panels weighted with additional
pipe, blocks, or other heavy material.
Here is an adult on the edge of the inner cover and another on top of the inner cov-
er—both scurrying for cover when the outer cover was removed. You almost never see
a beetle sitting still. When you open a colony they run from the light. They are about
one-third the size of an adult honey bee.
The larvae resemble wax moth larvae, but they tunnel without webbing, and are very de-
structive. Pick one up and draw it between your fingertips. The cuticle is hard and un-
yielding, and the legs are stiff and bristle-like. Wax moth larvae are soft and pliable
and easily crushed.
