I just took off my IPM board to count Varroa Mites, if any and there was what I think is a Wax Moth larvae. This thing is approximately 2 cm long and looks like the pictures in my bee book. I have referenced my book about the possibility and the treatment options and am a bit overwhelmed.
History
I live in Greensboro, NC
I have 4 med. supers w/8 frames with capped honey. My husband and I are new to bees this year and are concerned about what to do next. We had a mentor (Rob) kindly, come by the house to look at the hive in mid July and he said all looked good. Since then, we haven't really gone down into the hive. We had some problems with beetles but they were manageable. We started feeding 2-1 sugar water about a week ago, every few days, to help build up honey.
Would someone please tell me what are the next steps I should be taking to see what damage, if any, has been done to my hive? And what treatment steps should be taken and when.
I appreciate all the help and advice I can get because I have grown rather attached to my bee project and would like it to survive.
I think I have wax moth in my hive
Re: I think I have wax moth in my hive
Wax moths are opportunistic--they do not cause the loss of a hive, but take advantage of weak hives/unprotected comb to lay eggs. The larvae do the damage to the comb and to wood. Dead outs that are not caught in time often have a severe infestation of wax moths. I regularly see small amounts of wax moth poop on the bottom boards of hives. If hives have a good population of bees, they will detect the wax moth larvae and handle the problem.
If you still have a good population of bees, I would not reduce the size of your hive. It sounds like you are getting ready for winter with a good configuration.
At our last meeting, there was some discussion about the use of a BT powder & water spray to protect comb against wax moths. The BT discussed was the type in the product XENTARI and NOT the BT in Dipel. This BT is not currently approved for wax moth treatment in hives in the U.S., but it was in the past, and I believe it still is approved in Canada and Great Britain as a pre-mixed solution called CERTAN. Where Xentari can be used (stored tobacco, fruit trees, etc.), it is considered an organic application, and would not disqualify fruits or vegetables from being labeled as "organic" under USDA guidelines. The choice to use a Xentari type BT would be a personal choice.
If someone were to choose to use BT, it should be applied to dry comb and not comb wet with honey. Xentari contains bacteria and bacterial spores that kill wax moth larvae soon after they ingest it. Honey is anti-bacterial.
If you still have a good population of bees, I would not reduce the size of your hive. It sounds like you are getting ready for winter with a good configuration.
At our last meeting, there was some discussion about the use of a BT powder & water spray to protect comb against wax moths. The BT discussed was the type in the product XENTARI and NOT the BT in Dipel. This BT is not currently approved for wax moth treatment in hives in the U.S., but it was in the past, and I believe it still is approved in Canada and Great Britain as a pre-mixed solution called CERTAN. Where Xentari can be used (stored tobacco, fruit trees, etc.), it is considered an organic application, and would not disqualify fruits or vegetables from being labeled as "organic" under USDA guidelines. The choice to use a Xentari type BT would be a personal choice.
If someone were to choose to use BT, it should be applied to dry comb and not comb wet with honey. Xentari contains bacteria and bacterial spores that kill wax moth larvae soon after they ingest it. Honey is anti-bacterial.
Re: I think I have wax moth in my hive
Wax moth larvae and SHB larvae look very much alike, the SHB has spines and the wax moth has more legs. There are a couple of pictures in the web site below.
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/foo ... ndings.htm
Anyway, one larva on the sticky board does not mean devastation; it does mean that the bees ran it out of the hive. That’s a good thing. If your hive is strong you most likely don’t have any damage.
The best way to tell is by taking a look and then determine what action if any is required.
There are a lot of basic things to look for:
Are there enough bees to cover the frames that are there?
Do the bees look healthy?
Does the comb look healthy?
Do you see webbing like spider webs on or in the comb from wax moths?
Does the capped honey have a healthy looking capping or is it slimed from SHB?
Do you have capped brood, eggs, larvae?
What was your mite count?
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/foo ... ndings.htm
Anyway, one larva on the sticky board does not mean devastation; it does mean that the bees ran it out of the hive. That’s a good thing. If your hive is strong you most likely don’t have any damage.
The best way to tell is by taking a look and then determine what action if any is required.
There are a lot of basic things to look for:
Are there enough bees to cover the frames that are there?
Do the bees look healthy?
Does the comb look healthy?
Do you see webbing like spider webs on or in the comb from wax moths?
Does the capped honey have a healthy looking capping or is it slimed from SHB?
Do you have capped brood, eggs, larvae?
What was your mite count?
Just some thoughts.
Re: I think I have wax moth in my hive
My first question is, how long was the ipm board in the hive, and was it under the screen?
It should only be installed when taking a mite count, then removed and stored away. The space between the ipm board and the screen is a great place to raise SHB and wax moths. The debris falling through the screen feed them, and the enclosed area protects them.
It should only be installed when taking a mite count, then removed and stored away. The space between the ipm board and the screen is a great place to raise SHB and wax moths. The debris falling through the screen feed them, and the enclosed area protects them.
Re: I think I have wax moth in my hive
In comparing the pictures at omatra.gov to the larvae in my jar, it is wax moth larvae. 
The sticky board was placed under the screen for approximately 24 hrs. +- 1-2 hrs. for a mite count. No mites as far as I can detect through all the bee debris. Thinking back to the day I placed the board, I remember looking under the hive to view the screen board, (hive is raised off the ground 4 ft.or so), I saw what I thought was a spider web, so I brushed it away and put the board in place. I either trapped it or it was chased out or both.
I wasn't able to read these responses till after the sun was setting, so I wasn't able to go into the hive to do a real look and see. I will do that tomorrow, and hope that you are correct and it is chased-out larvae. Thanks for the list of things to look for, I will keep them in mind when I go in.
If it is not a single larvae and they are in the hive, I guess I will be asking more questions regarding the use of Xentari. Sounds as though this would be done after the hive is gone, honey taken out and comb cleaned. Maybe there is an intermediate step that can be taken if there is a small isolated area of them.
Thanks for the quick response and ideas.
The sticky board was placed under the screen for approximately 24 hrs. +- 1-2 hrs. for a mite count. No mites as far as I can detect through all the bee debris. Thinking back to the day I placed the board, I remember looking under the hive to view the screen board, (hive is raised off the ground 4 ft.or so), I saw what I thought was a spider web, so I brushed it away and put the board in place. I either trapped it or it was chased out or both.
I wasn't able to read these responses till after the sun was setting, so I wasn't able to go into the hive to do a real look and see. I will do that tomorrow, and hope that you are correct and it is chased-out larvae. Thanks for the list of things to look for, I will keep them in mind when I go in.
If it is not a single larvae and they are in the hive, I guess I will be asking more questions regarding the use of Xentari. Sounds as though this would be done after the hive is gone, honey taken out and comb cleaned. Maybe there is an intermediate step that can be taken if there is a small isolated area of them.
Thanks for the quick response and ideas.
Re: I think I have wax moth in my hive
I have sprayed frames with brood and honey on them. When you spray them, they need to dry. If the comb is wet, the spores will develop and die, so the affect will be nil. The zentari is harmless to humans and bees.