BCBC would like to thank
Dr. Zachary Huang, Associate Professor of Entomology, Michigan State University for allowing us to republish his honeybee photos and photo descriptions here. Please visit his site at Beetography.com
Special thanks also to
Dr. David Tarpy, Assistant Professor of Entomology at NCSU for allowing us to republish information on bee pests and treatments. You can visit his site here. |
Cause(s):
Larvae of the Galeria mellonella moth
Symptoms:
--- Large, 1.5 inch larvae tunneling through the wax combs of weak hives or stored bee equipment
--- Silk cocoons, typically found on the side bars or top bars of frames in infested hives or equipment
Treatment:
--- Store unused combs with PDB crystals. Never place crystals on a living colony, as the fumes are highly toxic to adult bees and brood.
--- If heavy infestations are found, freeze combs for 1-2 days before reusing.
 The greater wax moth (Galleria mellonella) larvae, shown with various instars. Photo by former graduate student Anne Hanley.
 Closeup view of the emptied cocoons from where the adult moths have emerged. Photo by Prof. Zachary Huang, Michigan State University.
 A comb severely infected with the greater waxmoth. The while ones are the cocoons spun by mature larvae just before they pupate. Silk and frass are everywhere making this frame not usable for extraction of honey if this were a honey frame. Photo by Prof. M.V. Smith, University of Guelph.
 Just before the wax moth larvae spun their cocoons, they use the mandibles to chew an indentation on wood so that the cocoon would attach better. Notice the dead workers near the lower left of the photo. Workers often die inside cells because they cannot get out due to the silk left by small wax moth larvae when tunnelling beneath the workers. Photo by Prof. M.V. Smith, University of Guelph.
 The lesser wax moth (Achroia grisella, Pyralidae), causing similar damage to the greater wax moth but is not as common in Michigan. Photo by Prof. M.V. Smith, University of Guelph. |
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