Colony health

Wax moth

Updated October 2026

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It is mostly a stored comb problem Telling it from small hive beetle Protecting stored comb Freezing is the clean answer In a live colony References

Wax moth almost never destroys a healthy colony. It destroys the comb you put in the shed after harvest, which is comb that cost the bees eight pounds of honey a pound to make.

It is mostly a stored comb problem

A strong colony patrols its own comb and keeps moth larvae out. Supers stacked in a warm shed after extraction have nobody patrolling them, and larvae tunnel through the comb, leave silk webbing and frass, and reduce a box of drawn comb to ruin in weeks.

Telling it from small hive beetle

eXtension publishes a direct comparison and the practical tell is webbing. Wax moth larvae leave silk; small hive beetle larvae do not. Moth larvae also have prolegs along the body, beetle larvae have three pairs of legs at the front only.

The distinction matters because the responses are different: beetle is a live colony and harvested honey problem, moth is a stored comb problem.

Protecting stored comb

Cold and light are your friends. Moth thrives warm and dark, which is exactly what a shed is.
Airflow through stacked supers makes them far less attractive.
Comb that has held brood is at far higher risk than clean honey comb, because larvae feed on the protein in old cocoons rather than on the wax itself.

Freezing is the clean answer

Below freezing kills all life stages, including eggs. Frames held below 32F keep indefinitely, which is the same storage that stops honey crystallizing in the comb and the same freezer that deals with small hive beetle. One chest freezer solves three problems.

Freeze for at least 24 hours, then store the frames somewhere they cannot be reinfested.

In a live colony

Moth in a working hive is a symptom. It means the colony is too small for the space it is being asked to cover, or it is queenless, or it is failing for some other reason. Treat the cause rather than the moth: reduce the space, requeen, or combine the colony with a stronger one.

References

eXtension Bee Health. How can I tell the difference between small hive beetle larvae and wax moth larvae?; American and European Foulbrood. bee-health.extension.org

Penn State Extension. A Quick Reference Guide to Honey Bee Parasites, Pests, Predators, and Diseases. extension.psu.edu

Written from published extension guidance, not from a laboratory.