Latin: Aphomia sociella
In the genus of moth species is the Bumble bee wax moth, which is a relatively large moth. The Bumble bee wax mill also bears the Latin name Aphomia sociella.
Appearance
As described, the Bumble bee wax moth is one of the larger moth species, and the moth can be up to 20 millimeters long, just as it can have a wingspan that can be up to 40 millimeters.
The male and female do not look alike. The female is gray-brown with a characteristic black spot in the middle of each of the wings. The male is light gray with dark zigzag bands on the forewings.
The larvae of the bumble bee wax moth have a buttery yellow color, while their head is reddish brown. The adult larvae can grow up to 27 millimeters long.
Biology and behavior
It is not without reason that “bumble bee” is included in the name of the moth. For the larvae are often found in bumble bee beehives. But a bumble bee beehive is just one in a series of nests where bumble bee wax moth can make itself comfortable. They also like to settle in wasp nests or bird nests. In rare cases, they may even seek out a honeycomb.
Inside the bumblebees’ nest, the bumble bee wax moth lives on the organic material found, such as the content of flower dust in the wax pots. But the bumble bee wax moth also does not refrain from attacking the larvae themselves in the nest.
When the moth larvae have finished their development in September, they leave the nest, after which they move to a protected area nearby. Here they jointly spin a pupa, in which they pupate together. Such a pupae can hold hundreds of small pupates spun together from an incredibly strong silk.
These pupae can appear in unusual places in the garden. And it is not unheard of to come across a pupa on stored garden furniture, behind pots and utensils or in the firewood pile. These pupas’ webs can be quite difficult to remove, as they are often spun heavily attached to the substrate in question. For the same reason, one can also risk a true invasion of the larvae or even the adult moths if they pupate near or in the habitat.
Damage
The larvae of the bumble bee wax moth can without scruples find themselves digging a little into the substrate at the place where they pupate, to form a common bed for their pupa. They look closely at what they gnaw into. Therefore, woodwork, garden furniture, walls or floors can end up being the object of the larvae’s bite. Often, however, the damage after their gnawing marks will be of a superficial nature.
Prevention and pest control
It is rare for the larvae to infiltrate the house itself to pupate. Therefore, they rarely pose the great irritation and harm to the occupants of the house and are generally considered to be quite harmless. However, if you want to prevent the appearance of bumble bee wax moths, you should remove bumble bee and wasp nests in and around the house, which could otherwise be attractive to the moth.
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