THE WAX MOTH AND ITS CONTROL 9 



apiary conditions. The ant seeins more attracted to honey and pollen 

 than to the wax moth in stored combs. 



Comparatively little is known of the other insect enemies of the 

 wax moth, and not much benefit can be expected from them. 



Climatic conditions, particularly temperature, are effective in limit- 

 ing the spread of the wax moth, and the rate of growth, and thereby 

 the amount of damage done by the insect. 



ARTIFICIAL CONTROL 

 CONTROL MEASURES UNDER APIARY CONDITIONS 



Two phases of artificial control for the wax moth must be dis- 

 cussed, (1) the control measures for colonies under apiary conditions, 

 and (2) control of the wax moth, or prevention of its daanage, in 

 stored equipment. 



Under apiary conditions, the best control is in keeping colonies 

 strong. Added to this should be cleanliness of hives — removal of 

 propolis, bur combs, and refuse on the bottom board which provide 

 protection for larvae of the wax moth. Even in strong colonies, 

 developing larvae of the wax moth, may often be found beneath the 

 comb burs on the bottom board or in propolis and bur combs in the 

 less accessible portion^ of the hives. Accidental loss of queens in 

 such colonies late in the fall may mean the loss of colonies from wax 

 moth damage before the first spring examination. Beekeeping prac- 

 tices and manipulations should be based on the assumption that the 

 wax moth in some stage may be present in the hives at all times. 



The box hive, or a hive in which the frames are not easily movable, 

 gives the wax moth an opportunity to reproduce, and forms a breed- 

 ing place from which other colonies may be attacked. From the 

 standpoint of both productive beekeeping and wax moth control, such 

 hives should be destroyed and replaced by modern equipment. 



Control of the wax moth by trapping the adults at lights or by 

 trap combs has not been successful. The adults are not attracted to 

 lights and trap combs evidently are not more attractive. 



CONTROL MEASURES IN STORED EQUIPMENT 



For controlling the wax moth on equipment in storage, two methods 

 of attack are possible. Some substance may be used which will kill 

 the wax moth or some method adopted of repelling the adults so that 

 eggs are not deposited on the stored equipment. Of the killing sub- 

 stances, fumigants (poisonous gases) have proved most satisfactory, 

 but, with the exception of paradichlorobenzene, the gases do not 

 remain in the supers long enough to have any distinct repellent action. 



Fumigants for wax moth control are substances, whether liquid or 

 solid, that form a killing gas that diffuses through the stored equip- 

 ment and is taken in by the insect. Several different substances have 

 been used with success against the wax moth, particularly paradi- 

 chlorobenzene and carbon disulphide. 



PARADICHLOROBENZENE 



Paradichlorobenzene (" PDB ") is a white crystalline substance 

 which changes slowly into a gas. The gas is not unpleasant to smell, 

 is noninjurious to people at the concentration obtained when used as 



