Impact of Age of Comb on Greater Wax Moth Galleria Mellonella L.

The greater wax moth Galleria mellonella L. is a serious pest of honey bee colonies. Its growth and development is investigated in this study under laboratory condition. Effect of all the five natural comb diets viz., 1, 2- and 3-years old combs, comb foundation sheet and processed wax were found to impact growth, development and mortality significantly. Processed wax was the poorest larval diet inducing prolonged immature stage duration, shortening adult longevity, decreasing fecundity, prolonging the lifecycle duration, and causing significantly higher mortality in its life stages. In contrast, feeding larvae on 3, 2- and 1-yearold combs, positively affected the growth and development and vitality of all lifestages; and 3 years old comb was the most suitable diet with the least mortality.