WAX-VET – Wax moth frame protector for storage

01 · STORAGE COMES FIRST

Half the problem is solved before you treat

A frame that goes into the store clean is a frame the moth finds far less interesting. Old dark comb and frames with pollen are the ones you lose; pale wax with no residue, much less so.

Hence the order of work: old comb goes to the melter, not to the shelf, and what you keep is kept cool, ventilated and in the light — the opposite of what the moth is looking for.

02 · FREEZING

The method that leaves nothing behind

If you have a freezer it is the cleanest route: the figures quoted are about 4-5 hours at -7 °C, 3 hours at -12 °C or 2 hours at -15 °C, provided the whole mass of the material reaches that temperature — a tight stack takes far longer than a single frame.

And afterwards you have to bag or shrink-wrap: freezing breaks the cycle, but it does not stop a moth laying on top of it the next day.

03 · WHAT WAX-VET IS

Dried ferment and nettle extract

The formula combines a group of Bacillus spp. fermented and spray-dried — it contains no live bacteria — with standardised nettle extract (Urtica dioica). According to the maker, it acts on the larvae when they come into contact with the treated frame.

The maker states the limit himself, and it is worth having in front of you: it does not act on the eggs. If the frame already had eggs laid on it, the larvae will hatch anyway and the effect comes afterwards. The declared protection lasts 6 to 8 months in normal storage.

04 · HOW IT IS APPLIED

A hundred grams per litre, and chlorine-free water

Dissolve 100 g in 1 litre of chlorine-free water. This is not a detail: the chlorine in mains water can deactivate the preparation, so use dechlorinated or bottled water.

Spray as a fine mist over both faces of the frame and let it dry in a ventilated place before stacking. In spring the dry frames go back into the hive; the maker states that no rinsing is needed.

Wear protective clothing when preparing the solution; in case of contact with skin or eyes, rinse with clean water for at least 15 minutes.

05 · BEFORE YOU BUY

It is a storeroom product: you buy it for the equipment you put away, not for an infested hive.