I had one hive that was started with a new colony this spring. Unfortunately, I lost all my bees and the honey to robbers (wasps and other bees). It happened so quickly! After the robbing, I opened my hive and found empty cells and wax moth larvae and webbing. So, I am wondering what to do next. How can I clean up my hive and safely store it for the winter? I would like to use the same hive next year and minimize buying new equipment. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you!
~Sage
The dreaded wax moth.
I stole this picture from Google images, but this is an example of a frame with minimal damage from wax moths.
Bee keeping can be frustrating sometimes. But with each new challenge you overcome the better beekeeper you become First you need to get rid of any active wax moth to prevent further damage. This can be done by freezing the hive for a couple of days. Then it will depend on how much damage was done to the comb to see if any can be saved. If the damage was advanced you will need to take each frame and remove the damaged comb and install new foundation. If there is only a small amount of damage you can clean each frame as best you can and let the bees finish repairing the comb next year. Remove all traces of wax moth from frames and boxes and then properly store your equipment to prevent any more damage from the wax moths. Hope this helps.
~Jeff Rys
I think Jeff's answer is great, and if you'd like to add some helpful advice for Sage, or anyone else reading this post, please do so in the comments section below.
On a tip from fellow HCBA member Mike Feeney, this morning I put an entrance reducer on my hive. I used the large opening, and caused a bit of a traffic jam for my bees, who are extremely active, and seemed to have adjusted to the new entrance quickly. I was told that because nectar flow is slow this time of year, I should help my bees fight off the robber bees that may try to get into the hive, by limiting access at the entrance.