While working with Kathi-Luise to get her bees ready for winter, we noticed that they chewed through the entrance reducer we added to make other entrances. This is a sign of chewing bees and since I was already thinking about it, when I was in my bees the next day I noticed that one of …
Category: Pest Control
Various ways to deal with pests such as ants, small hive beetles, varroa mites, and wax moths
Monitoring Varroa Mites
I believe that you have to monitor the varroa mite infestation in your hives. Many hives do not even make it to winter because of viruses transmitted by the varroa mite. If they make it to winter, they may not make it through winter. This year (2017), bees coming through winter in okay shape saw …
BT for Control of Wax Moths
A strong hive is the best defense against wax moths. One preventive action is to not give the bees more territory than they can guard. In other words, don’t leave a lot of drawn comb on a hive that is small and struggling. Wax moth traps can help keep the wax moth population under control …
Wax Moth Traps
Making a wax moth trap is easy. Take an empty 2 liter bottle and drill a 1 inch hole just below the slope on the neck, then add 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup vinegar and finally 1 banana peel. Wait a few days till it starts to ferment, then tie it into …