Wax Moth Prevention in Frame Storage
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ก.ค. 2024
- It's that time of year for me to do my annual Frame Storage video and how I keep the wax moths from destroying my comb. It's a very basic procedure and it has worked well for a few years now. So let me show everyone how I do it. Let's head out into the shed and get started.
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Thanks for joining me in my bee yard here in Louisiana as I share how I maintain my beehives. My videos are not meant to be 'How To' videos, but simply me sharing my experiences in beekeeping as I learned it from my mentors, teachers, and studies.
#bees #beekeeping #beehive #honeybees #hiveinspection #savethebees #honey #honeycomb #beeswax #swarming #swarmtrap #backyardbeekeeping
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Very Humble man : This is not a how to but how I do video
Pay attention people this Humble Man knows his stuff
Wow, super humbling comment Richard. Thanks so much!
"Using old bee frames to grow bait and chicken feed"😂😅😅🤣
That’s about right. But with this method, that doesn’t happen anymore if I do my job. Thanks for watching!!
🛬📖🛫
Thank you Brother Mike,
When you did the freeze frame on the package I grabbed a screenshot and turned around and ordered several of those to try.
Better be safe than sorry and be proactive instead of reactive 🐝
This is been a crazy year right from the start.
We just have to pray for the best and always in prayer and supplication.
Is Billy Graham said back in 1989,
"Even when you're doing the most mundane task you should pray and ask for GOD'S blessings that your work not being vain"
I believe that when he said it and I still believe it, Mike.
I thank GOD for all of your "HOW I DO" videos they are all good teaching tutorials.
BTW:
That Minnesota weather you enjoyed is not too far away from us, it'll be here shortly, so we all better get ready to change gears because fall is in the air up here. Yeah it's still hot 32°c, but them nights are getting colder.
I set up a couple cooling stations for my hives by ordering several of those misting nozzles, and the little girls really love it. The water comes out looking like smoke because it's so very fine and Misty almost like a fog. It really does the job on a hot day.
I love you brother Mike GOD Bless until the next "THIS IS HOW I DO" video. 📖🛐✈️🇮🇱🇺🇸DJT🇺🇸2024🇺🇸
Thanks for the wonderful comment and the truths on our God. Glad you were able to use the info in the video!!
I’ve started putting a few bug zappers out and they have killed lots of wax moths and I put a bug zapper in the building where I store my comb. Thanks Mike!!!!
That is a good idea as well thanks for sharing
I used to have one but all the moths burned it up😁😁. Thanks Rodney.
I still have my swarm traps out. I checked them yesterday.I have to swarms I need to bring home to my bee yard. Thankyou for all you share with us.
Oh wow, that’s great. Hope they do well for you and I think you so much for watching!’
Some beekeepers use a " pet fire ant colony" to clean out the pollen, proteins and moth damage.
I’ve tried that and the ants ended up making their hill over the frame😂😂. I guess I left it there too long.
@@MikeBarryBees The beekeepers make a ramp for the ants and a stand for that stack. I've seen the brood combs turn yellow from the ants even eating the cocoons but the direct sunlight also gotta be shaded. Too much work but some do it
@@inharmonywithearth9982 well, it is work, but if a stand of thirty or forty frames were there and the ants did all the work, that’d be worth it. Very interesting idea. I know I take my foundations that I scrape and leave the stacked outside so the wax moths clean the rest of the wax and debris off. Then I just have to brush them off. Use the pests to our advantage. They eat and we benefit. Thanks for. The comment!!
It is tedious work but I have found you can melt wax and use a small paint brush to paint a fresh coat of wax just on the bare spots and then the bees will draw them out evenly.
I need to try this. Easy enough and I can do tedious if it saves me work and wax. I keep a hot plate with wax in it, so just brushing some on here and there ain’t nothing. Never thought of it, thanks for the tip Gary!!
Saves having to waste 3/4 of a frame of comb just because 1/4 of it wasn't drawn out.@@MikeBarryBees
Yessir protect that golden comb
Stuff is like gold!!
Tell it like it is, Mike. Good video!
I try to Roy. I appreciate you watching!!
Hi from NZ, I have a stack using old boxes and fill with old plastic brood comb frames and wax moth and leave for months till wax moth have eaten all the wax etc and the frames are clean, then water blast and rewax. Using the wax moth as a tool to clean the old heavy brood frames. Just keep the stack a good distance from your bee gear shed and keep cycling frames. Too easy
Thanks for watching from way, way abroad!!👍🏼👍🏼Yes, yes, yes!! I agree and have used the wax moth to my advantage as well and you have been the first person that I have heard that states that same idea. So that proves, I am not crazy and I am not alone😬😬 Although my method is a bit different as I first scrape the wax just to save some for rendering. But then I stack the frames inside and out and let them finish cleaning. After that I don’t even use water, I do what dirtrooster does and used a tire brush to get the residual off. Works great and they clean well. I mentioned this at a local beekeepers meeting and some looked at me like I had three eyes😁😁
Thanks Mike for taking the time to make this video. I usually just scrape the wax off when the wax moth is bad just because the bees make that comb funky sizes like you showed. Record temps in Georgia too. Stay cool.
You’re welcome Jim and thanks for the continued support!! We cooled down into the 90’s finally. Had some rain at long last!!
I hope you get some rain soon. Lots of good information on wax moths and dealing with them. Take care and beat the heat as much as possible. Thanks Mike. God bless.
Thanks Garry. Finally got some rain!!
Mr.Mike, great video that I will definitely try over the crystals i currently use. As for your comment about people in forums and what books say, most of the people are only quoting from a book trying to look intelligent, I'm like you, do what works for me!
Thanks so much!! Yep, I have learned to just learn from experience and apply the books to the degree that things work here in my region.
Interesting
Thanks
Hey Mike, thanks for your tips, we made the mistake of storing our honey frames with the crystals, we aired them out for days yet as beautiful as the comb was the bees wouldn’t touch it , then we found out that it’s mainly for brood frame storage.
Good stuff Mike. I noticed that even after one week of sitting in my garage-supers that had some brood were already wormy with wax moth larvae. This video was helpful.
Thanks!! Yep, it takes only days. Those larvae at the beginning of the video were there within 5 days. Amazing!!
Looking good Mike! You are always a wealth of knowledge!
Thanks 👍. Glad you enjoyed it!!
Thank Mike I appreciate the video. God bless ❤
Thanks so much!!
Good bait, time to go fishing 🤣
Indeed it is Jerry!! Thanks my friend for your continued support!!
Thank you for the advice and tips 😊
You're so welcome! Thanks
It did help, timely information! Thank you.
Glad it helped! Thanks for watching!!
Ha Mike I stored my brood comb in my kitchen I froze it first and then just stacked it in there till I had time to put it in the garage. well I must had not froze it enough, boy did I have a mess still do to some degree. but the moth crystals seem to be working good. I hand killed the moths on every frame. there was about 30 boxes in there and they were all over my walls curtians just every where. I did not catch it early because I do not live there at this time I am a care giver and I live at there house they are 93 years old and can not be by them selves. anyway to make a long story longer I went into every box and every frame killing moths by hand then stacked them and moth crystals I think the boxes are fine but I am still killing moths on the walls and curtains. I enjoyed your video always do. Hope it cools off soon. God Bless and have a wonderful week.
Yea, it’s a very fast progression from nothing to ruined. Much the same with beetles. Have to get them frozen and the immediately under the moth crystals to save them in the south, or even as far up your way. Even the summers in Canada can make them vulnerable.
Hi ,hoped you give me some insight. I froze 30 frames for 2 days,pollen and bee bread and a little honey. Had them stored in the house. Noticed in February, they were full of wax moth,and destroyed. I have cleaned and relaxed the frames but I lost all the colony splits food. They were bagged and had moth balls inside. Did I need to use moth crystal's? I would like to eliminate this next year.
@@jamescraig8601 Ha Try freezing them a extra day and put the moth crystles on them asap. This was the first time I had trouble with moths I had been freezing then bagging them in clear leaf bags. this time i froze them and stuck them in the house thinking they would be safe and didnot put the crystles on them I just let them sit there. I will never do that again. good luck to you have a blessed day
Thank you for another great video
You’re welcome and thanks for watching!!
Thank you for the video.
You’re welcome, thanks for watching!!
I lost 10 boxes of deep frames with wax last year to wax moths....lesson learned!
Yessir, that’s how a lot of us learn. Lost my share for sure too early on and had to figure something out.
Good info.
Thanks Joey!
Great video, thanks for sharing. I’m doing the same in GA.
Thanks and your welcome!!
Mike, thanks for the video and the info on the moth cakes. I’ve never used the cakes. I’ve always used the ice crystals. Sometimes I put the crystals on paper plates and sometimes I put them on pieces of screen wire and I put them in the freezer first like you do. Thanks again for the info!
Thanks for keeping this channel going Don and glad as always that you liked it!!!
good stuff Mike.....agree 100%
Thanks Stan!!
00:04:04 Apis Biologix-oxalic acid 😂 glad I'm not the only tongue tied one!
I just couldn’t remember😂
@@MikeBarryBees * I like the way you just do you!
Thanks for the video World Fame Mike Berry. I hate wax moths.
You’re welcome!! I hate them as well.
Hey Mike, thanks for the timely video. We got a flo going here in NJ. I love the smell of golden rod honey. I can handle any bug but maggot worms skeeve me out. I am going to try paramoth this fall since I finally have a bunch of supers to protect.
You’re welcome and using the paramoth will work out fine for you. Those combs are gold.
Thanks for posting World Famous Mike Berry.
You’re welcome and thanks for watching!!
Thanks for sharing. This is the first year I’ve had too many frames to just leave in the freezer all winter. With surgery I didn’t get things stored good and I’ve been fighting wax moths. They even hit comb that had no brood in the past or pollen!
I totally understand. Once they get the upper hand, we as beekeepers can only chase our tails at that point. Not long before winter and you’ll be able to get caught back up. You did grow very fast this season though.
@@MikeBarryBees quick question before I use it. I found the moth cakes you showed but my Walmart only had lavender scented ones. Are those to use still like you show you do or should I find ones unscented?
@@SmokyMountainLashBees same here with our Walmart all of a sudden. I went to amazon at that point. I didn’t use the lavender
@@SmokyMountainLashBees only reason was that if it’s a chemical lavender, I’m not sure it’s ok. If it’s natural lavender, then I’m thinking it should be fine, but I never checked the ingredients.
@@MikeBarryBees ok that’s what I wondered I may just hang what I got up in the garage to hopefully deter them and get some without any scent to put directly in the stack of boxes with the frames.
This year im freezing and let dry then spray with certan let dry then put the wax crystals on my pollen bound frames. Hope it works. Stack like you do sealed
Thanks for showing. Been asking with no answers on what to try. Thanks
I’d be happy to here how the Certan works for you. I have seen folks trying BT, but this certan, while it is BT is actually labeled for this specific use. Thanks for the comment!
I watched the video you made about the honey warmer the other day. What is the ideal temp to keep the honey to keep it from crystalizing? I want to build a warmer similar to yours.
I keep mine so that the honey remains at 90 degrees. That will prevent crystallization while keeping the honey near the same temp as in the hive.
Thanks for the video! It's interesting how areas of the Country vary in their temps and how much of a change that can make in things. In SW Missouri we seem to experience all the temp extremes. Above 100 deg in the summer for extended periods of time the below zero at times for periods of time with snow, usually not much snow but in recent years it can be quite a bit. I'm looking forward to catching a feral swarm and seeing what I can do with them, not even considering package bees, I want them to have survived my conditions over a winter and summer here in my area. Thanks for the wax moth class, I'll file it away in the old brain housing group!
You’re welcome Tommy and thanks for watching and for the continued support!!
Great Video as always my friend! I had some wax moths destroy some stuff this year and finally broke down and bought some para-Di whatever that word 😂 I had some questions but you pretty much answered them. I store my supers in the back corner of my house though. Would that be ok with the para moth? With a lid on top and bottom or would that be a bad idea? Never used the stuff before.
I not going to say it’s a bad idea. Anything to keep them out. It’s safe for supers. If the supers are clear and i can store them in the air and light, then I don’t want to use the para moth because it wont have that vapor on my honeycombs and they need no airing out. But if they have to be stored inside and stacked, then i could see myself adding some crystals like Bruce Jenne showed in his video. But I’ve always been told that if it’s clear wax, they won’t mess with it. But that’s always been with the caveat of having air and light. Personally, stacked inside, I’d probably use the stuff to be sure.
On a side question. How do you keep you plywood lids from warping?
I don’t. Several of min warp. Adding cleats to the ends will help with warping and also sealing the by wax dipping or a good coat of paint helps. Lining the grain up with the front and backs is also helpful when cutting. In the end, cleats and cutting with the grain has kept most all of them flat.
I have never used the cakes but it looks like a great idea.
They just seem to last longer and are easy to handle. But they’re getting harder to get and inflation has doubled the price. I use the crystals when I have to, but the cakes are handier for me. Thanks for watching Bruce!
I want someone to explain to me the difference between the 'approved' oxalic acid and the other oxalic acids on the market that do the same thing. Likely the manufacturer cornered the market with a deal with the industry leaders.
Mediocre flows generally won't get the bees to draw comb. the only time bees will draw comb is if they need it. A mediocre flow won't get that going.
The cakes are interesting. Easier than the crystals like you said.
I take it you are asking a rhetorical question because I am sure we all know that it’s an inside job with the ‘approved’ OA. High dollar OA that is no different than the 99% pure that is available at chemical and compound suppliers. I agree on the mediocre flow, as I stated. It’s great to get them building up brood, but no enough to draw on un-waxed foundation. They will however draw comb in a mediocre flow if it is well waxed foundation. I have them do it every year. The cakes are getting very expensive with the last couple years of inflation, but I find they still are more economical for me. I am looking forward to the results from folks using the Certan. I know several who have tried the BT based products and have not had the greatest results. We will see how the Certan works and if it does well, I hope it will be more economical.
@@MikeBarryBees Then your flows are stronger than you think or they need more room for brood or stores. IT's the only time they draw.
I get my wax rendering pot going and dip those wax moths frames in boiling water. It makes a great worm balls for birds.
Interesting idea! Worm balls.
If the moths have not damaged the wax, after freezing do you pick the worms out or let the bees do it. I’m new and have limited drawn frames.
I will let the bees do it. They’ll usually pick and then repair the comb as long as it’s not too damaged.
Hi Mike. I am Steve of Rocket Scientist Steve that use to work with Mr Ed. Could you tell me the name of those pucks and where you get them for wax moth prevention. I looked online and can’t find them. Thank you.
Hey there Steve. They are made by Enoz and they are actually getting every expensive as the price of chemicals has skyrocketed with this inflation. I go to Amazon or the Walmart pages and awash moth cakes and they us usually come up.
What do you do with pollen frames that you removed the comb from? The pollen is stuck in the foundation do you just wax over it? Somehow remove the left over pollen/ let the bees at it and hope they rebuilds wax? I have a few that I had to remove the wax after the freezer and can't get the pollen out. I did hear of a bleach dip and re-wax but not sure if that would put off the bees
I scrape them, then brush them vigorously, then re-wax them. I have a video dropping in the next hour that shows another way I’ve started to clean them after I scrape them. Very unorthodox, but it works for me.
Do you keep your wax in the freezer all the time? Or, just to kill off any bugs?
No, as the video demonstrates, I put them in boxes with paramoth.
The freakin wax moths got two broods on me this year god I hate these things !
They’re a very frustrating pest. Sneaky too.
👍👍👍
Thanks Brad!!
Do your supers have drawn comb?
Mostly they do.
8:35 You need to rewax that foundation. Bees will not draw foundation that is not made of or covered in wax.
Agreed Brad. Those are in the ‘scrape’ pile. That was my point that if there is residual bee bread or moth trails, I scrape and rewax other wise they tear out the bad and remove wax to the plastic, and never rebuild it. In a heavy flow they will, but that’s the only time, which down here is a small window relative to the season. That super had frames from other supers, frames that I had pulled out, 1 here and 1 there, that were never culled or caught and the bees did just what I was speaking on. But yes, new wax on cleaned foundation is a must.
@@MikeBarryBees rewaxing frames is one job I look forward to in October. I find it relaxing. The smell of melting beeswax. The knowledge that a prewaxed foundation is the next best thing to drawn comb. Of course, since my rendering project, I have about 400 frames to rewax next season.
@@ThatBeeMan I’m not going to say I look forward to waxing them, but it is one of the tedious tasks that’s not so terribly tedious. I usually set up the bench in the honey house, turn on some music, and just start rolling sheets with my 4 inch roller and electric skillet….😎😎
@@MikeBarryBees That's exactly what I do. I finish extracting then pack my comb honey then roll on the wax. I'm sure I'll be waxing a lot of frames again this year.
I don't like wax foundation so I've never used any. You don't have to wax foundation that is made of wax.
ME FIRST, Moths bee gone!😂
😁😁. Moths be gone!!!😁😁
Do you have mice problems leaving your supers out?
No, they don’t mess with the clean supers.
I have had them get into frames that once had brood of o leave them out too long, but never the supers with clean comb.
Wax moths are the worst. They ruin your comb. I just lost a colony to fire ants. First time ever for that. Been a tough year. Hopeful for next spring.
Ants are terrible here. The ground is so dry they’re going up into hives for food. Haven’t had them overrun, but I fed a colony and the ants went nuts!
При хранении рамок с сушью. Сделайте расстояние между рамками один дюйм и вы будете приятно удивлены.
I have tried to separate them, but with brood frames and this year round heat, it just didn’t work. I would love to be able to store them with no paramoth, but just have not been able to do it this far south. Thanks for the comment as I know someone further north will have another idea to try to combat the moths.
Paramoth and similar chemicals, are illegal to use in Australia because it turns up as residue in wax and honey. It is illegal to import it, so freezers are the best option.
Yep, different regions, different regulations. Just no way I could do all freezers.
The wasp is probably thirsty for your sweat
Yea well, I wasn’t willing to share😂😂😁😁
@@MikeBarryBees LOL
resources!!!!!
Indeed Stan!!
I never store frames without freezing now. I had the worst wax moth infestation one winter in a storage bin 🤮🤮🤮
Been there!! Did the same thing. I learned this method from a couple years of ruined frames.
Looks like a day or two in the chicken pen is needed.
I know. Chickens love the wax moth larvae!!
Do you issues with mice?
No, I don’t see mice issues as of yet.
Have you ever tried Certan
No I haven’t. It’s active ingredient is BT and many have tried BT in the past with mixed results. I’m looking forward to seeing the results of the trade name Certan. The larvae have to begin chewing in order to die with other BT products, so some damage occurred as others tested it, but Certan is specifically made for comb, so I really can’t wait to see how it turns out.
@@MikeBarryBees I’m trying at this year. I’ll let you know how it works out.
@@tommyhayden5218 good deal!! Looking forward to the results.
@@MikeBarryBees I thought BT was a contact general insecticide.
why... you should also take part in raising caterpillars in other locations. it's about money because wax worms can make money
omg...
Yuck! Keep those thing down south. Thanks Mike! -Jeff and Diane
I’m more than happy to share them. Just say the word😁😁
@@MikeBarryBees LOL.
What a mess wth the moth wow
They are no fun. Need some chickens to come clean them out.
good bait
Indeed they are. Thanks for watching!
I find that mistakes made are just either lack of time in apiary or just laziness.
I agree to an extent. I try to keep numbers of hives to a limit for time available. Why I say to an extent is there are some mistakes made that just happen based on experience, unseen circumstances, changing weather, such as unseasonable freezes or droughts, etc. This season is a prime example with the freeze. Just not predicted, so mistakes were made with several of us as we stepped thru after not having seen that extent of a freeze in 12 years. Lack of time is huge, so that is why I believe it’s important to know our limitations.
A lot of face time and explanations.
It’s what I do. Thanks for watching.