Subject: "moth crystals" for wax moths

From: [email-masked] (Tim Miklasiewicz)
Date: Fri, 3 Mar 1995 07:54:07 GMT

Please Note:

    Paradichlorobenzene is carcinogenic!  I would not use it around bees or to 
treat frames with wax that is going to re-used in hives.  Wax moths are not 
very tolerant of sustained cold.  They survive winters in protected locations 
such as hives with bees (warm), sometimes within buildings if they have some 
food (they're pretty polyphagous).  You should be able to kill them by placing 
equipment in an exposed cold place or in a freezer for several days  (48-72 
hours near 0 degrees Fahrenheit should work).

    Several years ago there was a formulation of Bacillus thuringiensis that 
was used to treat frames.  This bacterium is the active biological 
control agent in the biorational pesticides Dipel and Thuricide (and many 
others).  It's toxic to larvae of many species of Lepidoptera, like wax moths, 
but not to bees.  I believe that the distributer of the formulation for bees 
gave up its registration because it was not selling enough of the stuff to 
make it worthwhile.  Possibly if enough people were aware of this as a 
safer alternative to naphthalene and PDCB, and were interested in using it, 
some company would be willing to resurrect the product.

Tim Miklasiewicz			[email-masked]
Ohio State University Entomology