Pest and Disease Management
• This is the third part of a crash course, covering pests, parasites, diseases, and varroa management.
• The section will be covered in five or six videos.
• The focus of today's video is honeybee pests and parasites.
• Wax moths are a significant problem for honeybees that burrow through and destroy combs.
• Avoid wax moths by keeping hives happy, healthy, and well-populated.
• Sunlight, plastic seals, and mothballs can be used to keep wax moths out of unused boxes.
• Small hive beetles can be dealt with using well-populated hives and beetle traps or unscented Swiffer sheets.
• Small hive beetles leave yeast wherever they go, which ferments and destroys the hive.
This video is a part of the third section of a crash course on beekeeping, covering pests, parasites, diseases, and varroa management. The video specifically covers honeybee pests and parasites, including wax moths and small hive beetles. Wax moths are known for laying eggs in dark bee boxes, which hatch into larvae that burrow through combs and destroy everything in their path.
To avoid wax moths, beekeepers should keep hives happy, healthy, and well-populated. Sunlight is an effective way to keep bees out of boxes, and mothballs can be used but must be paradichlorobenzene, not naphthalene. Small hive beetles are less common but can still cause significant damage. They lay eggs in crevices, which hatch into larvae that burrow through combs and leave yeast that can damage the hive and make it unsuitable for consumption. The best way to avoid small hive beetles is to keep a well-populated hive and use traps or unscented Swiffer sheets to catch them.
Video Summary:
- Video covers honeybee pests and parasites, including wax moths and small hive beetles
- Wax moths lay eggs in dark bee boxes, hatch into larvae that destroy combs
- Avoid wax moths by keeping hives happy, healthy, and well-populated
- Sunlight and mothballs can also be used to keep bees out of boxes
- Small hive beetles lay eggs in crevices, cause damage by leaving yeast
- Avoid small hive beetles by keeping a well-populated hive and using traps or unscented Swiffer sheets.
Watch part 3 on YouTube Honey Bee Diseases - Honey Bee Pests, Parasites & Diseases Part 3 - Beekeeping Crash Course - YouTube