Wax Moth

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Wax Moth Small Hive Beetle Biology and Control

• Keith Tignor
• State Apiarist
• Virginia Department of Agriculture
• and
• Consumer Services

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Greater Wax Moth Life Cycle
Egg
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Greater Wax Moth Life Cycle
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Greater Wax Moth Life Cycle
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Greater Wax Moth Life Cycle
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Greater Wax Moth Life Cycle
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Wax Moth Damage

• Hive
• Equipment
• Occupants
• Stored Equipment

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Wax Moth Control

• Cultural
• Maintain Strong Colonies
• Hygiene
• Sanitation

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Greater Wax Moth Mortality at Low Temperatures
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Wax Moth Control

• Physical
• Cold
• Heat
• Light
• Insect Tight Storage

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Wax Moth Control

• Biological
• Bacillus thuringiensis
• Parasitic Wasp
• Nematodes
• Sterile Males
• Virus

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Wax Moth Control

• Chemical
• Naptholene (?)
• Paradichlorobenzene (PDB)
• Carbon dioxide

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Wax Moth Control
Best Options
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Small Hive Beetle
Aethina tumida
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Small Hive Beetle
Life Cycle

• Egg
• Hatch in 2 to 3 days
• Deposited as irregular masses in crevices and
  cavities
• Approximately 2/3 size of Honey bee egg

• Larvae
• White colored worms
• Grow to length of 10 to 11 mm
• Feed on honey and pollen
• Require 10 to 16 days development

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Small Hive Beetle
Life Cycle

• Pupae
• Larvae leave hive to pupate in soil
• Pupation requires 3 to 4 weeks

• Adult
• Reddish brown to black in color
• 5 mm in length
• Live up to 6 months
• Mate when disturbed

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Small Hive Beetle
Distribution in U.S.
3-31-00
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Small Hive Beetle
Damage
Larvae

• Tunnel through comb
• Destroy cappings
• Defecate in honey
• Fermentation of Honey

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Small Hive Beetle
Damage

• Honey discoloration, fermentation, and frothing
• Leaking honey from comb
• Destruction of wax frames cappings
• Absconding of bees

Results
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Small Hive Beetle
Control

• Monitor hives for beetle presence
• Maintain strong hives
• Move hives to reduce infestation
• Sanitation during extraction
• Never store wet supers

Management
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Small Hive Beetle
Control

• Cultural
• Cold storage
• Dry environment
• Biological
• Nematodes
• Chemical
• Check-Mite
• Gard-Star
• Paradichlorobenzene - PDB