Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => DISEASE & PEST CONTROL => Topic started by: devehf on March 12, 2017, 08:16:07 pm

Title: Mold issue from poor winter moisture management
Post by: devehf on March 12, 2017, 08:16:07 pm

It was a harsh winter here in Boise, ID. My one remaining hive didn't make it. Lots of dead bees on top of the inner cover and bottom board.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170312/bd8efb01096b85312ede11fdf0e1feb4.jpg)

Also a 100 or so on the frames. In between 4 frames there was mold in a 3 inch patch. This was in the top deep box. I had a ventilation hole open on the top. Not sure how to increase the flow of air without completely exposing the hive to sub zero F temps for weeks in a row.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170312/c34964ad4d0bfb6fea1e9db43076a470.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170312/01a6f41edc712d90ff5945b24f3d9e45.jpg)

Should I just cut this moldy section out and use these frames for my new package or throw them out?
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170312/489366c30dc05ec54f8746406ff6cdcc.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170312/6fc853c5ceeaaadf70f23e34f39c8ac3.jpg)

Also, one of these frames had some white specks in the honey comb. Crystallized honey? Odd. These are not brood comb.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170312/bb65e59e95017be96940ee2524a9d2ca.jpg)

Thanks!

Title: Re: Mold issue from poor winter moisture management
Post by: iddee on March 12, 2017, 08:42:58 pm

Looks to me like they starved and the last few on the frames had mold grow on their dead bodies. More food and less ventilation may have saved them.

Title: Re: Mold issue from poor winter moisture management
Post by: cao on March 13, 2017, 12:18:48 am

I agree with iddee.  Its always sad to see a dead hive.  I would just try to get as many of the dead bees out of the comb and reuse it.  The bees will clean the rest of it.

Title: Re: Mold issue from poor winter moisture management
Post by: devehf on March 13, 2017, 01:29:57 am

There was a lot of honey in the frames. Not much pollen. My other hive was overcome with yellow jacket robbers. The yellow jackets may have robbed this hive of pollen too.

Thanks for taking a look. It is sad.  It was such a strong hive from a swarm I caught.


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Title: Re: Mold issue from poor winter moisture management
Post by: Acebird on March 13, 2017, 09:29:26 am

Quote from: devehf on March 13, 2017, 01:29:57 am

There was a lot of honey in the frames.

Certainly not in the frames you took pictures of and these were said to be in the top deep.  If the bottom deep is full of honey something went wrong or you did something wrong.  Mold is after the fact.  It occurs on warm days with moisture in the hive and virtually no live bees in the hive.  Nothing in the photos says to me there was a moisture management problem.

Title: Re: Mold issue from poor winter moisture management
Post by: Michael Bush on March 13, 2017, 11:59:18 am

Mold is typical in dead hives.  Bees are wet when the die...

Title: Re: Mold issue from poor winter moisture management
Post by: devehf on March 14, 2017, 11:44:49 am

Quote from: Acebird on March 13, 2017, 09:29:26 am

Quote from: devehf on March 13, 2017, 01:29:57 am

There was a lot of honey in the frames.

Certainly not in the frames you took pictures of

Correct I did not post many photos of the frames with lots of honey. Except for the crystallized uncapped frame. Still wondering if I should have provided a pollen patty. Anything else you would recommend?


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