Mildew

[Joelel]

It has been raining alot here.We are getting what looks like mildew on our honey comb. Will the bees take care of it or is there something we need to do or can it be something else and not mildew ? Thanks

[Joelel]

Well, I guess if it's mildew,theirs nothing to worry about.

[lakeman]

Hey! Can someone give us an answer here? I aim to produce only comb honey, and am also interested in the answer here.

[Joelel]

Hey! Can someone give us an answer here? I aim to produce only comb honey, and am also interested in the answer here.

Maybe people don't know what mildew is,maybe I should call it mold.

[BjornBee]

 :pop:

[Robo]

Maybe people don't know what mildew is,maybe I should call it mold.

Or maybe those that know are on the Joelel ignore list.   :shock:

Asking questions and then consistently arguing with those that answer tends to discourage people from answering ...........

[BeeHopper]

[Lone]

Hello Joelel,

When we had continuous rain here at the beginning of the year, I got these mildew-looking blobs the bees were clearing to the entrance.  With feeding and when the weather cleared up the problem left.  I'd hate to have the honey contaminated, but I'm guessing the bees would clean things up when it gets dry enough to cap it. Perhaps you can take measures to keep the hives a bit drier? Do they have a roof over them and are they sloping to the front? Maybe someone in a humid area has had experience with this.

[Robo]

Lone,

That looks like chalk brood to me.

[Kathyp]

'tis, but still a valuable pic.  the same conditions that make conditions for mold growth favorable, would allow chalkbrood to thrive.  of course, i'm on  the ignore list.....

[Lone]

Hello Robo,

I did wonder about that at first, because the blobs were about the size of brood, but they had a more waxy feel.  I never had a problem with chalkbrood after that, though, and I have seen chalkbrood in a friend's hive.  The black substance was much like mould.  I couldn't inspect inside much then because of the weather.  I sent that photo to an old beekeeper because I was concerned, and he replied that the bees were just cleaning up.

Lone

[Lone]

Then again, chalkbrood's just another kind of fungus, isn't it?

[Kathyp]

caused by fungus, i believe.  kind of like athletes foot is a skin condition caused by a fungus  :)

[Bee-Bop]

 :pop:


Bee-Bop

[Lone]

Hello Kathy,

I looked up some pictures of chalkbrood and my picture does look similar.  The chalkbrood I had seen was only white, not black. 

So does chalkbrood fungus produce a mildew? 

I searched here for answers. 

http://agclass.nal.usda.gov/mtwdk.exe?s=1&n=1&y=0&l=60&k=default&w=Fungi,+Yeasts,+Molds+and+Mildews&t=3

(Now, my brain is turning into a mushroom after getting up at 530am, working till 415pm, driving home and back to town, going boxing for 1.5 hours, then coming home and catching chooks, delousing the langshans' bottoms and worming the araucanas.  Anyway, Joelel, it might be safer to wait for a break in the rain than using athlete's foot cream in your hives  ;))

[Scadsobees]

Ok, two issues going on. 

Joelel, mildew (or mold) on combs is common.  Stored comb gets it, comb that is not being actively maintained by the bees outside the cluster over the winter will get it, the boxes and frames will mold as well.  Very common, considering there is moisture as well as traces(or more) of sugar on the comb it is to be expected.  The bees will clean it.  But if you are getting white and black pebbly things on the landing board, then see the next paragraph.

Lone, your picture is in fact of chalkbrood mummies (yup, a fungus).  Whether the fuzzy stuff on the mummies is the fruiting bodies of the chalkbrood fungus or mold doesn't matter too much.  But chalkbrood doesn't cause the comb to mold, only the bee larvae.  Chalkbrood can be caused by excessive moisture, the bees can usually clean up an infestation, but occasionally if the hive is mature the queen will need to be replaced if it doesn't go away.

Rick

[Joelel]

Ok, two issues going on. 

Joelel, mildew (or mold) on combs is common.  Stored comb gets it, comb that is not being actively maintained by the bees outside the cluster over the winter will get it, the boxes and frames will mold as well.  Very common, considering there is moisture as well as traces(or more) of sugar on the comb it is to be expected.  The bees will clean it.  But if you are getting white and black pebbly things on the landing board, then see the next paragraph.

Lone, your picture is in fact of chalkbrood mummies (yup, a fungus).  Whether the fuzzy stuff on the mummies is the fruiting bodies of the chalkbrood fungus or mold doesn't matter too much.  But chalkbrood doesn't cause the comb to mold, only the bee larvae.  Chalkbrood can be caused by excessive moisture, the bees can usually clean up an infestation, but occasionally if the hive is mature the queen will need to be replaced if it doesn't go away.

Rick

Thank you. I know it's mold,just wondering if it was a problem.

[Joelel]

Maybe people don't know what mildew is,maybe I should call it mold.

Or maybe those that know are on the Joelel ignore list.   :shock:

Asking questions and then consistently arguing with those that answer tends to discourage people from answering ...........

 consistently arguing ? Now your a liar and I don't mind telling you.

[BjornBee]

Maybe people don't know what mildew is,maybe I should call it mold.

Or maybe those that know are on the Joelel ignore list.   :shock:

Asking questions and then consistently arguing with those that answer tends to discourage people from answering ...........

Thank you Robo.   X:X

I'm sure a bunch of people feel the same way.

[iddee]

Robo, this one's for you.....   :deadhorse:   :deadhorse:      :deadhorse:

You and I can't possibly keep up with the intellectual genius of Joelel.

Why, I bet if he was in the army, he would advance all the way to Sergeant Major.   :roll:   :-D

[Kathyp]

he would advance all the way to Sergeant Major

 :-D

[Joelel]

Robo, this one's for you.....   :deadhorse:   :deadhorse:      :deadhorse:

You and I can't possibly keep up with the intellectual genius of Joelel.

Why, I bet if he was in the army, he would advance all the way to Sergeant Major.   :roll:   :-D

You got all that right for once.

[Joelel]

Maybe people don't know what mildew is,maybe I should call it mold.

Or maybe those that know are on the Joelel ignore list.   :shock:

Asking questions and then consistently arguing with those that answer tends to discourage people from answering ...........

Thank you Robo.   X:X

I'm sure a bunch of people feel the same way.

Yelp,me too.

[beemaster]

Joelel:

I'm sending you a private message - I decided not to post it in the forum - I will just say here, don't be calling other members liars, not a good idea.

As for everyone else, try not feeding fuel to issues about what people post on other forums, or other baby diaper crap. We call it Cabin Fever, things quiet up in the bee yard and people in the forum start getting claustrophobic with each other and tempers flare - not going to have that.

LAST THOUGHT ADDED 12 HOURS LATER.

I don't want any negative talk about other beekeeping forums out there, many are our friends, not everyone can like each other, but were batting 400 or better :) PLEASE no "I hear you wrote over their about so and so willl not fly here Bjorn - That just fuels flames. If you need to say it, do so in private.

[Jim134]

Robo, this one's for you.....   :deadhorse:   :deadhorse:      :deadhorse:

You and I can't possibly keep up with the intellectual genius of Joelel.

Why, I bet if he was in the army, he would advance all the way to Sergeant Major.   :roll:   :-D

                                                   LOL



                 BEE HAPPY Jim 134  :)

[Bee Happy]

I score a zero on the chalkbrood pic - I thought it was moldy pollen pellets.

[Kathyp]

bee happy, you know it if you see it in your hive.  moldy pollen would be soft.  these mumies are hard unless they have been sitting in wet, and usually whiteish/grayish...although some of lones look very dark.  they look like a rolled oat, but rounder :-)

[David LaFerney]

 consistently arguing ? Now your a liar and I don't mind telling you.

I don't know man.  It seems like you're pretty argumentative to me a lot of the time.  You aren't alone.  It's pretty common for people to insist that they know exactly what they are talking about - or to quibble about things that don't really matter - when all in all most of us have a lot to learn.

"The first step to wisdom is to understand that it is elusive."

[BjornBee]

"The first step to wisdom is to understand that it is elusive."

Well then....quit chasing it..... :-D

I stopped many years ago. Now, I just ramble on and on and on and on.... :imsorry: