1. I have this hive that the wax moths are trying to take over. I have cleaned the wax moth cocoons out three times and they keep building back. Is there anything I can do?
   
2. I put my frames in the freezer three days and still got wax moths. What is wrong?

You did not state the extent of the damage or the condition of the bees, so we will make several interrelated assumptions. Wax moths have been exceptionally active this year and this is always the case in a year of drought when the bees are under stress. The wax moth attack on your hive is nature's way of cleaning out the weak hives. Your problem is the queen, and the moths are the symptom, not the problem. Strong hives can ward off wax moths under normal circumstances, and 2002 has certainly not been normal, so the wax moths did what they were supposed to do. Much earlier in the summer one should notice a decrease in the house bee population during the peak of the day or the work hours...(don't rely on the bees hanging out on the front late in the afternoon to indicate the overall population). Yes, I know we can all get otherwise occupied and fail to pick up on subtle clues, but they are there. Often are heard such things as "my hives are pollen bound or honey bound." Again there is a queen problem. A healthy, vibrant and balanced hive will experience no such thing.Any over-exuberant activity in storage of either indicates a queen that is in a weakened condition due either to natural or non-natural events. Certain strains shut down nearly all brood activity in late summer and prepare for winter in a different fashion than, say, the typical Italian that most beekeepers are used to seeing.Bees in this country are, from a DNA standpoint, mutts...therefore one sees variations on late summer patterns of behavior all over the rainbow.The main point being that mid-and late-summer inspections generally reveal irregularities.Rule of thumb is to look to the queen. Catch this in time--requeen.Catch it a little later, one might get away with combining hives.Any later, then get ready to clean up the mess and get the box ready for next year.

Let's cover two questions. First, frames with drawn comb that have had brood in the cells is the most susceptible to wax moths, as their prime concern is the cocoon and residue left from brood which is embedded in the wax of the cell and covered with a very thin layer of fresh wax by the workers preparing the cell for the next cycle. Left unprotected, the moths will try to get at it, even with bees in the hive. The best ongoing defense is always a good strong colony of healthy bees with additional ventilation screening. As to the freezing, the whole conglomeration must be at 0 degrees F for three days. First one must determine if the freezer will go to this temperature empty before and frames are processed. The easy way is a simple digital unit used to measure inside and outside temperature. Place the bulb or thermocouple between the innermost frames of the whole super. In other words, say one has four supers in the freezer, lower the bulb to the center of the mass between the center frames. In a frost-free freezer, the desired 0 degree should arrive at about the second day. A non-frostfree needs three days for heat transfer to level at 0 degrees. NOW, start your three-day count at that point. Even this is not an absolute unless you live in Saskatoon, Canada where such temperatures occur naturally for longer periods. Second: In the case of frames for cut-comb honey, it takes an addition 2 to 2.5 days for the honey to reach the desired 0 degrees. That's a total of 8 to 9 days to be safe. PLUS, if you have no dehydrator to use when the frozen boxes are removed you must place each box (super) in a plastic bag and seal it before freezing then allow the whole thing to thaw out in the sealed bag to room temperature before opening and processing the cut comb. No one ever said cut comb was as simple as in the good ole days when folks understood that from time to time critters do hatch out on the store shelf and sometimes after purchase. It was a natural thing and still is, but it's now no longer politically correct, therefore must be regulated, documented, registered, inspected, vacuum packed, hermetically sealed and sufficiently taxed to cover THEIR cost, but one must keep all these folks happy with cheap food no matter the consequences. (Have to exercise my "hot button" from time to time.) Added note: If one objects to chemicals in any form, the above is about the only way in this area and the South to help curb the wax moth. If one does not object to chemials, then Paradichlorobenzene (PDB for short), marketed under the trade name of Para-moth, is the standard. There are some bootleg methods out there, but DON'T DO IT. The stack needs to be sealed top, bottom and at each super or box. If sealed with tape I recommend a PDB treatment on a shallow container for each approximately 4' stack. A paper plate at each mark will work, but one must open the seal to check the chemical, then reseal. PDB will evaporate in less than 3 weeks in our current heat. There are several drawer devices available from supply houses, or I will show anyone a shop-made unit that I use. Avoid storage in damp, dark and dead air spaces at all cost. NEVER in a dead air basement, stall in a bank barn, laundry room or the kitchen pantry (the latter should be self-explanatory). BEFORE use, the boxes should be carefully checked for any spillage and aired a couple of days. This stuff is deadly to bees. FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS!