Freezing Frames For Wax Moth

[Jen]

Is it still 48 hours to freeze frames before putting into storage, to kill wax moth damage?

[Mikey N.C.]

Did wax moths get to frames in a hive? If not spray bt on frames once out of hive and leave in a sunny location. If you freeze frames and then put back in a dark situation wax moths will find them again.

[Bakersdozen]

I do 48 hrs.

[Jen]

Thanks Baker 

Hi Mikey, things change over the years so I was just checking to see if the standard 48 hours still applies. I have no trouble with wax moths if I take the frames out of the hive and put them in the freezer for 48 hours, then put them into a big plastic storage bin. They winter that way for months and no wax moths in the spring.

I like Bt as well, but cannot always find the right Bt in California, and don't visit Oregon that much. Just easier walking right to the freezer and putting the frames in.

[Mikey N.C.]

I met beek in mountains n.c. he had a a frame tin roof 12×12. About 12 feet high, he hung his frames under and used nothing. Wish I still had pics.

[tecumseh]

yes 48 hours is how I do things...  some places will have more problems with wax moth than others... 

[rober]

just as & maybe even more importantly freezing kills hive beetle eggs & larva. BT & moth crystals protect comb from moths but not beetle larva. 1 time I had my supers & deeps tucked safely away ( I thought ) & luckily I need a deep frame. when I got into the stack 1 box was full of beetle larva. had I not needed that frame I would have lost the whole stack instead of a couple frames. so now all frames are frozen before being stored. I got real anal when I built my bee shed. the sills &  the plywood sheathing are urethane caulked to the concrete. the bird blocks & the door threshold & frame are caulked as well & i used commercial grade weather stripping on the door. the building is so airtight it requires some effort to close the door. nothing goes in the shed that hasn't been frozen or cleaned. in the spring & fall i cover or remove any component that the bees come into contact with & set off a couple aerosol bug bombs. 1 beetle in the shed is enough to destroy a stack of comb. 

[Jen]

Hi Rober, I also freeze everything that comes out of the hives, and if I've taken a hive down and the bottom board has some wax moth business on it that goes into the freezer too. We don't have the beetle here yet thank goodness.

[tecumseh]

I should add here I do use a sub freezing freezer unit which gets the temperature down to about 0 degeee F.