Honey bees, Apis mellifera L., varnish their combs with resins collected from woody plants. When these resins were incorporated into the diet of greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella (L.), growth and survival were strikingly reduced. Feeding was not deterred, however, when larvae were offered a choice between resin-treated and control diets. An inhibitory action after consumption may account for reduced growth and survival. These observations suggest that honey bees gain a measure of protection from G. mellonella by utilizing plant resins in construction of their nests.
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Eischen et al. (1987) studied this question.