I like to use that plastic you wrap pallets for shipping when i seal my hives up. I also have a couple pieces of plywood with a lazy susan device so I can just spin the whole stack. This also does double duty for painting hive bodies. The lazy susan device is about $15 at Lowes in the hardware section.
“Comb helps prevent swarms...” As a new beekeeper this year, I did not realize how important this simple statement was, until my nucs swarmed on me as I did not have any drawn out comb. It seemed, even though I had 2 deep boxes for the bees, they couldn’t draw out enough comb and then swarmed out. I wish this would be said more often for the new bee keeper! Thanks for the great videos!
Lost 25 frames of comb this spring. In storage - went to pick them up. Moth balls (Para-type) had evaporated. There were literally tens of thousands of wax moth larvae crawling all over the storage unit - it was horrible. The combs were gone - piles of dust at the bottom of the boxes. Several of the frames had wired foundation - nothing but the wires were left. It was a painstaking and gross cleanup - had to kill all the larvae manually to keep them out of all the other units. I was sure the manager was going to bust me and kick me out of the unit! Wax moths certainly have their purpose - they can clean out the old comb in a tree and make it ready for a new swarm to move in and build new comb the next year. They will do the same to your frames. Lesson learned - check the moth balls frequently.
Two things you forgot to mention. One is that wax moths feed not just on stored pollen but also on the sheddings left behind as larvae are growing, so even “empty” brood comb is at risk. Second relates to “feeding” wet, harvested honey combs to the bees to get them to clean it out. Those combs should be as far as possible from your hives, and out of line-of-sight of those hives; otherwise, you’ll quickly see a lot of robbing in your hives. Thanks for another great video.
Para-Moth info starts at 14:05 for anyone wanting to skip the rambling (sorry Kaymon, but you know it’s true sometimes). I know someone behind the camera who’ll back me up! 😆
Kamon, I spread a layer on cedar shavings from Tractor Supply in the bottom, then stack four boxes and add more shavings. Grandma always kept her valuable or keep sake clothing in a cedar chest to keep moths out and the shavings have seemed to work well for me. Give it a try and see what you think. Maybe you'll make a video on it.
Great info in this early video Kamon. I’m dealing with wax moths for the first time. It’s too cold for them where I live at 7200 feet in Colorado, but I bough some hives this summer from a lower elevation that were full of wax moths. I found out that if I stored my supers in my heated shop before allowing them to freeze they thrive 😡. Also appreciate the tips for keeping the mice out. Thanks! Looking forward to Hive Life!
we are usualy use sulfur strip, have special box for storing frames burn 1 pc strip monthly until not fall temperature under 10 cellsius (around 53F), but I store 80% frames in hive, I put super box with 8 frames under brood hive during overwintering bees care it, just 20% protecting by myself.
Good morning, the one outfit (Australian Honeybee) I visited in Australia used aluminum phosphide pellets in paper sacks for storage and they never had an issue with them just FYI.
Hi, Kamon, I am trying an experiment this winter using paramoth on half my supers and BT on the other. We’ll see how it goes. The building I store them in is uninsulated, but I have had wax moth problems in the past. Thanks for all you do for bees and beekeepers! Stu P.S. for those in cold climates: Jason Crisman in Michigan stores his supers outside where the winter takes care of wax moths. Stu
Mice hate peppermint oil. Put in on a cotton ball and put them around. If you have mice in a wall they will leave if you put the peppermint oil next to the baseboards. I use it all the time to keep the mice out of my milk room.
In warmer weather the para moth will evaporate. When the crystals are gone you need to re-apply. Our winters where I'm at won't allow wax moths to survive. But their eggs will. So, in spring be ready to keep your comb safe. I like your 8 frame per box method and I'm going to be looking at that this coming year (if my bees survived winter). We think we found our colony loss issue. It may be pesticides sprayed by either the farm or the housing developments.
Get a tub and dip boxes,frames with or without foundation and tops in Bt solution.The spray combs with frames with Bt.That way wax worms wont eat your wooden ware also.Then they wont eat everything if you happen to have a hive die out or just get weak on you during any time of the year.
Last year was the first year I used the crystals and they work fantastic. They were basically used for the warmer parts of the fall and not really needed once the temperatures drop down into the 20s. Excellent video and information thanks for sharing.
Hi Kamon Reynolds, You kan use acitic acid 75% it is prevent wax moth totally and it’s get ride off Nozema spores, you will put many boxes together and above the last one you will put acetic acid in a dish and acitic acid will begaine to evaporate and because of it’s heavier than air it will go down, it’s perfect and we use this method in Sweden.
@@kamonreynolds no more details, it's very easy and organic method you will only put acitic acid in a dish on your boxes and close it well acitic acid will vaporize and work as a repellent to wax moth and kill all Nozema spores.
Just for the record....old fashioned “moth balls” usually contained the chemical Naphthalene which is much stronger and more toxic than “moth crystals” Which usually contain the chemical paradichlorobenzene. Most of “moth balls” that they sell today in Hardware Stores now contain paradichlorobenzene which dissipates faster into the air and is less toxic.
One shoo, that means that the modern moth balls are basically the same as the crystals, or at least has the same basic chemistry? Do you know if the percentage ratio is the same in comparison? Thanks, Phillip Hall
phillip hall Yes if the “moth balls” are para then you can use them in the same proportion as the crystals. However,......please make sure that they are PARA AND NOT NAPTHA!!!!! You do not want to put Naptha in your comb! Someone also mentioned that Para sublimates quickly and should be re-applied when necessary.
@@PhillipHall01 Enoz Moth Ice Crystals marked "para" is the exact same product as paramoth. I check the msds. If you get the crystals in the cardboard cylinder with plastic lid...that's EXACTLY the same as paramoth except for labeling.
BT (in liquid form) sprayed on combs kills any wax moth larva as soon as they eat the first bite. My research, a few years ago, indicated that it was certified for use in the US but for reasons that I could not ascertain, it’s certification expired and wasn’t renewed. There are ways to source it from Europe but do know it’s not legal in the US.
Kamon just an FYI ... it’s my understanding that Paramoth cannot be used when there are ANY food resources in the comb. I’m guessing it gets impregnated into the food (bee bread n honey) and is fatal to the bees. I purchased some Paramoth but was hesitant to use it because of what Mann Lake told me .... I was told it would be great for honey supers but that is not my case as I have comb with food reserves from dead outs. Plus you have to let the frames and boxes air out and ventilate chemical free for 2 - 3 months ... at least that’s what I was told. Do you have different information that you could / would share?
Mice - Grrr. I had passed a number of supers full of frames thru freezer and set in finished basement where I thought they were "safe". Discovered mice were getting into basement - chewed up a bunch of wax and left their nasty little black calling cards!
I’m late on your messages to us but I hav a bee bothering the honey bee! Looks like a sweat bee, I’m in Van Buren, Arkansas on 30th of Oct. ????? I could listen or watch you 24/7.
BT doesn't last long at all from what I gather, Id still love to see you try it because people say alot of false info..it would be a blessing if it did, I lost probably 35 frames this year ,u can't leave anything out for even a night here...
Really enjoy your site and your knowledge. My question is....we are debating on using organic no GMO sugar vs pure cane sugar for our sugar water. I have read the organic sugar causes dysentery for the bees. I am wanting to use the pure cane sugar but getting opposition from our family bee group. I need some firm information on either one. Thanks... Jim, Jackson Trail Farm, Fort Worth, Texas
Jim it's my understanding that GMO sugar is made from GMO beets. Cane sugar is not (so far, anyway) genetically modified. So using pure cane sugar should be fine to avoid GMOs. Organic sugar is always cane sugar but it is less refined and has substances that may be great for humans but give bees indigestion, so to speak. For sure it is hard on them during the winter when they can't do cleansing flights for months on end. This study may help: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23886010/
Would it work, since I only have a few hives, to places frames with comb on them, to put them in a plastic storage tote and tape them around the edges without putting the stuff you used in the box!
I was thinking back this summer you had all them mites in that one hive. Get rid of the wood pile. Bet there hiding in there and mice.. have a good one buddy. Take care. Buzz buzz.
I like to use that plastic you wrap pallets for shipping when i seal my hives up. I also have a couple pieces of plywood with a lazy susan device so I can just spin the whole stack. This also does double duty for painting hive bodies. The lazy susan device is about $15 at Lowes in the hardware section.
“Comb helps prevent swarms...”
As a new beekeeper this year, I did not realize how important this simple statement was, until my nucs swarmed on me as I did not have any drawn out comb. It seemed, even though I had 2 deep boxes for the bees, they couldn’t draw out enough comb and then swarmed out. I wish this would be said more often for the new bee keeper! Thanks for the great videos!
I have a top bar hive I just bought a swarm for.. do you think I should get some comb to attach to a bar or build a Langstroth and split later?
Lost 25 frames of comb this spring. In storage - went to pick them up. Moth balls (Para-type) had evaporated. There were literally tens of thousands of wax moth larvae crawling all over the storage unit - it was horrible. The combs were gone - piles of dust at the bottom of the boxes. Several of the frames had wired foundation - nothing but the wires were left.
It was a painstaking and gross cleanup - had to kill all the larvae manually to keep them out of all the other units. I was sure the manager was going to bust me and kick me out of the unit!
Wax moths certainly have their purpose - they can clean out the old comb in a tree and make it ready for a new swarm to move in and build new comb the next year. They will do the same to your frames.
Lesson learned - check the moth balls frequently.
Two things you forgot to mention. One is that wax moths feed not just on stored pollen but also on the sheddings left behind as larvae are growing, so even “empty” brood comb is at risk. Second relates to “feeding” wet, harvested honey combs to the bees to get them to clean it out. Those combs should be as far as possible from your hives, and out of line-of-sight of those hives; otherwise, you’ll quickly see a lot of robbing in your hives. Thanks for another great video.
Para-Moth info starts at 14:05 for anyone wanting to skip the rambling (sorry Kaymon, but you know it’s true sometimes). I know someone behind the camera who’ll back me up! 😆
Duty calls! Thanks for squeezing in time for the bees!
Nice presentation of some important brood cell storage information. Thanks for sharing.
Kamon, I spread a layer on cedar shavings from Tractor Supply in the bottom, then stack four boxes and add more shavings. Grandma always kept her valuable or keep sake clothing in a cedar chest to keep moths out and the shavings have seemed to work well for me. Give it a try and see what you think. Maybe you'll make a video on it.
That's a good idea! I'm going to try that on a few boxes.
Sun light will help.I have my honey supers in a Dry house. No wax moth
You guys sure are cool people I sure would like to meet you guys I'm in Idaho a long ways away
Thanks Kamon for some really helpful info. Have a safe winter
Great info in this early video Kamon. I’m dealing with wax moths for the first time. It’s too cold for them where I live at 7200 feet in Colorado, but I bough some hives this summer from a lower elevation that were full of wax moths. I found out that if I stored my supers in my heated shop before allowing them to freeze they thrive 😡. Also appreciate the tips for keeping the mice out.
Thanks! Looking forward to Hive Life!
we are usualy use sulfur strip, have special box for storing frames burn 1 pc strip monthly until not fall temperature under 10 cellsius (around 53F), but I store 80% frames in hive, I put super box with 8 frames under brood hive during overwintering bees care it, just 20% protecting by myself.
I keep a few in my freezer, and because my humid island climate conditions all goes in the wax melter, I mean everything. Btw I use all plastic frames
Good morning, the one outfit (Australian Honeybee) I visited in Australia used aluminum phosphide pellets in paper sacks for storage and they never had an issue with them just FYI.
Hi, Kamon, I am trying an experiment this winter using paramoth on half my supers and BT on the other. We’ll see how it goes. The building I store them in is uninsulated, but I have had wax moth problems in the past. Thanks for all you do for bees and beekeepers! Stu P.S. for those in cold climates: Jason Crisman in Michigan stores his supers outside where the winter takes care of wax moths. Stu
How did this work out?
Great video, Kamon. Thank you!
Another great Show...
Mice hate peppermint oil. Put in on a cotton ball and put them around. If you have mice in a wall they will leave if you put the peppermint oil next to the baseboards. I use it all the time to keep the mice out of my milk room.
In warmer weather the para moth will evaporate. When the crystals are gone you need to re-apply. Our winters where I'm at won't allow wax moths to survive. But their eggs will. So, in spring be ready to keep your comb safe.
I like your 8 frame per box method and I'm going to be looking at that this coming year (if my bees survived winter).
We think we found our colony loss issue. It may be pesticides sprayed by either the farm or the housing developments.
Wow dude I hadn’t seen the BAMA game until now. sorry to see Tua hurt. I hope it’s something he can recover from. I’d love to see him in the NFL
😂 love it! Especially the end 😂 Learned a lot thank you!
Get a tub and dip boxes,frames with or without foundation and tops in Bt solution.The spray combs with frames with Bt.That way wax worms wont eat your wooden ware also.Then they wont eat everything if you happen to have a hive die out or just get weak on you during any time of the year.
Last year was the first year I used the crystals and they work fantastic. They were basically used for the warmer parts of the fall and not really needed once the temperatures drop down into the 20s. Excellent video and information thanks for sharing.
Sometime in the future. Could you please do a video on your extracting process. What you use for equipment. Love your videos.
Sure thing
Used BT for two seasons now.
Works a treat !
Thanks !!
Hi Kamon Reynolds,
You kan use acitic acid 75% it is prevent wax moth totally and it’s get ride off Nozema spores, you will put many boxes together and above the last one you will put acetic acid in a dish and acitic acid will begaine to evaporate and because of it’s heavier than air it will go down, it’s perfect and we use this method in Sweden.
That sounds great is there any more details to this method I should know about? Or is it that cut and dry?
@@kamonreynolds no more details, it's very easy and organic method you will only put acitic acid in a dish on your boxes and close it well acitic acid will vaporize and work as a repellent to wax moth and kill all Nozema spores.
I heard people use formic acid in same way, never tried it though.
@@lazarmasni9748 formic acid work on both varroa and Tracheal mites
@@TheHmye i know that, but I heard people are using it to preserve the combs as well.
Just for the record....old fashioned “moth balls” usually contained the chemical Naphthalene which is much stronger and more toxic than “moth crystals”
Which usually contain the chemical paradichlorobenzene. Most of “moth balls” that they sell today in Hardware Stores now contain paradichlorobenzene which dissipates faster into the air and is less toxic.
One shoo, that means that the modern moth balls are basically the same as the crystals, or at least has the same basic chemistry? Do you know if the percentage ratio is the same in comparison? Thanks, Phillip Hall
phillip hall
Yes if the “moth balls” are para then you can use them in the same proportion as the crystals. However,......please make sure that they are PARA AND NOT NAPTHA!!!!! You do not want to put Naptha in your comb! Someone also mentioned that Para sublimates quickly and should be re-applied when necessary.
@@PhillipHall01 Enoz Moth Ice Crystals marked "para" is the exact same product as paramoth.
I check the msds.
If you get the crystals in the cardboard cylinder with plastic lid...that's EXACTLY the same as paramoth except for labeling.
Thank you both Mike and One Shoo for the help. Very appreciated!
I’ve heard moth balls aren’t good for this but moth crystals (supposed to be a different chemical) is suppose to work.
BT (in liquid form) sprayed on combs kills any wax moth larva as soon as they eat the first bite. My research, a few years ago, indicated that it was certified for use in the US but for reasons that I could not ascertain, it’s certification expired and wasn’t renewed. There are ways to source it from Europe but do know it’s not legal in the US.
Kamon just an FYI ... it’s my understanding that Paramoth cannot be used when there are ANY food resources in the comb. I’m guessing it gets impregnated into the food (bee bread n honey) and is fatal to the bees.
I purchased some Paramoth but was hesitant to use it because of what Mann Lake told me .... I was told it would be great for honey supers but that is not my case as I have comb with food reserves from dead outs.
Plus you have to let the frames and boxes air out and ventilate chemical free for 2 - 3 months ... at least that’s what I was told.
Do you have different information that you could / would share?
Mice - Grrr. I had passed a number of supers full of frames thru freezer and set in finished basement where I thought they were "safe". Discovered mice were getting into basement - chewed up a bunch of wax and left their nasty little black calling cards!
Yuck! Yeah those things love bee equipment! My 2 cats are making short work of some of them right now!
so you dont have to burn or throw away frames when they get badly infested with wax moth?
No you don't. The frames may look a little rough but they can still last for years to come
I’m late on your messages to us but I hav a bee bothering the honey bee! Looks like a sweat bee, I’m in Van Buren, Arkansas on 30th of Oct. ?????
I could listen or watch you 24/7.
Thank you. Do you got some realy old hive parts? How long do they last IF not painted ?
Depends on the wood. 3-7 years with most pine boxes being close to 3 in TN. Wood rots very effectively here
... I want to talk to you about... oh look, a chicken...
BT doesn't last long at all from what I gather, Id still love to see you try it because people say alot of false info..it would be a blessing if it did, I lost probably 35 frames this year ,u can't leave anything out for even a night here...
Perhaps reapplications are needed? If I get a chance I will look into it. I really want to know now
@@kamonreynolds I hear ya, their a real problem around here...
Any chance it deters mice?
I am sure it does. It deters me!
Really enjoy your site and your knowledge. My question is....we are debating on using organic no GMO sugar vs pure cane sugar for our sugar water. I have read the organic sugar causes dysentery for the bees. I am wanting to use the pure cane sugar but getting opposition from our family bee group. I need some firm information on either one. Thanks... Jim, Jackson Trail Farm, Fort Worth, Texas
Jim it's my understanding that GMO sugar is made from GMO beets. Cane sugar is not (so far, anyway) genetically modified. So using pure cane sugar should be fine to avoid GMOs. Organic sugar is always cane sugar but it is less refined and has substances that may be great for humans but give bees indigestion, so to speak. For sure it is hard on them during the winter when they can't do cleansing flights for months on end. This study may help: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23886010/
A link to the decomber and a price thanks
Would it work, since I only have a few hives, to places frames with comb on them, to put them in a plastic storage tote and tape them around the edges without putting the stuff you used in the box!
Moth worms will get in under the edge. I used heavy duty black trash bags and taped….they chewed through.
@@kayelkins6060 oh wow, that's crazy! Them things are persistent i guess! Thanks!
Where would I go to find the rules for me here in Missouri?
Try Missouri dept of agriculture.
I realy think someone is plowing smoke to you about cristals and mothballs. Rob.
👍🏻
I was thinking back this summer you had all them mites in that one hive. Get rid of the wood pile. Bet there hiding in there and mice.. have a good one buddy. Take care. Buzz buzz.
Geez....that’s difficult....to watch....
I hate wax moths!
I am not understanding what you keep saying is not legal in Tennessee.
Thanks!