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Author Topic: How to save the frame from the wax moth. How do you keep frames with empty combs  (Read 2471 times)

Offline Ukrainian beekeeper

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How do you keep frames with empty combs?


Here is how we keep frames with empty combs in Ukraine. This method is environmentally friendly, does not require a lot of money and safe for bees and people. This method helps to kick away the wax moth and other pests. In most cases mice do not touch the frame with this substance. As fast as possible after extraction we need to sprinkle frames with empty combs with ASH. Yes we use ash, wood ash from a stove or a bonfire or ash from straw. You need to sprinkle frames with empty combs with ash in the respirator. We take frames and sprinkle ash on frames from both sides how could you see in this video.
Ash is an alkali. Wax moth does not like alkali. Ash clogs the pest's airways and the wax moth will die. Also mice do not like the smell and taste of ash. When we need to put a frame with empty combs in the colony of bees we must to shake off the ash well from both sides of the frame and rinse the frame with water. Then put the wet frames in the hive. Bees occupy such frames quickly. Bees will clean the frame. Bees are thrown ash residue to the bottom of the hive. We need to clean the bottom of the hive after that because bees should easily move on the bottom of the hive when they need. Also during the cleaning bees are smeared with ashes. In such way ash helps fight with varroa mite because varroa mite does not like ash too.
There is a small amount of ash in frames and ash is wet, that why bee`s airways do not clog. There is no danger to bees. We use this method about 4 years. We know for sure, 100 % that frames with empty combs will be clean and remain intact after using this method. Such frames bees occupy fast and there are no negative consequences for bees.
Before, we used sulfur for keeping frames with empty combs. Sulfur did not give a hundred percent result that the frames remain intact. Frames with sulfur bees were occupied worse, that led to swarming. Sulfur is not an environmentally friendly substance. Also I did not use poisons for saving frames. Such poisons are not an environmentally friendly substance.
How did I discover this method? One day there was no place for part of the frames with empty combs in the storage. I put them in the workroom, where I often used angular grinding machine. There was a lot of dust in the work room. I forgot about the frames for two years. When I found them, the frames were not damaged at all. Frames were in dust. Then I realized that the wax moth is afraid of dust. Ash is dust. From that time I began to sprinkle the frames with ash.
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https://youtu.be/-R-f92J67AU

Offline iddee

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This is for wax moths only, but one application lasts the life of the comb. It is safe for the bees and humans

https://www3.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/reg_actions/registration/fs_PC-006494_10-Jun-05.pdf
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

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Offline Ukrainian beekeeper

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  • Posts: 16
This is for wax moths only, but one application lasts the life of the comb. It is safe for the bees and humans

https://www3.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/reg_actions/registration/fs_PC-006494_10-Jun-05.pdf


I read about using Bacillus thuringiensis in beekeeping. It is interesting and save, as I understand, but effects of use BT only one year, and if you use Ash, your frames will be not damaged by pests during many years, especially if you keep frames in a closed storage. The second is the price, in our locality the price of a jar with BT (120 ml) coast 10-30 dollars. One such jar is for 50 frames. There are about 1000 frames in our apiary. Then we need 20 such jars. It is about 200-600 dollars. It is very much for us. Average earnings per year are about 1300 dollars in Ukraine. Ash is cheap and will save our frames longer. We have 3000 dollars from our apiary.

 

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