Control of Wax Moths: Physical, Chemical and Biological Methods

The main food of the wax moths—Galleria mellonella the greater and Achroia grisella the leaser—is beeswax, in comb or in unpurified residues. The possibility of pretreating beeswax for use in comb foundation with a substance toxic to wax moths, but not to bees, is a very attractive idea, which has been explored in various countries since 1960. For ten years Dr. Burges has been investigating the possibilities of controlling wax moths with Bacillus thuringiensis, as part of the programme of a research team studying insect diseases. This has brought him into close contact with the beekeeping industry, especially with producers of wax foundation. Here he reviews biological and other methods of controlling wax moths, especially G. mellonella.