Affected hosts
- Apis mellifera
Achroia grisella
Lesser wax moth
Secondary wax-moth pest that becomes more relevant in unprotected comb and stored material, although it can also affect weak colonies.
Agent
Achroia grisella
Notifiable in Portugal
No
Signs to watch for
Adult bees
- Webbing in comb
- Larvae in stored material
- Localized damage
Brood
- Comb damage
- Loss of stored material
Colony
- Unprotected stored comb
- Weak colonies
- Warm storage
Confirmation and identification
Field observation and monitoring
- Smaller wax moth adults
- Fine webbing
- Localized galleries
- Inspect stored comb and weak colonies
- Review storage conditions
Laboratory methods
- Do not underestimate infestations in stored comb just because the pest is smaller.
Control and impact reduction
Good practices
- Separate affected material
- Use cold treatment when appropriate
- Discard irrecoverable comb
Prevention
- Store comb under dry, ventilated conditions
- Rotate stored material
- Protect weak colonies
- Residual insecticides
- Mixing clean comb with suspect material
Ongoing monitoring
Indicators
- Affected frames
Recommended frequency
- Follow closely whenever comb is stored for long periods in warm conditions.