# Moist hive with mold & capped honey



## USCBeeMan (Feb 7, 2009)

Lost a hive of bees because the brood box was too moist. Forgot to take out the slideout board from under the SBB. There was a fair amount of mold in the bottom of the SBB and also some here and there on the comb. There was also a light dusting of this light gray mold on almost all of the capped honey in the brood box.

:scratch: Can I let these frames dry out and reuse them? Can I use the combs with capped honey as feed to new hives like swarms or nucs?

I doubt that it would be good for human consumption.


----------



## Omie (Nov 10, 2009)

I'd like an answer to this too- I think my hive died, and I saw some fine bluish/greyish mold mostly on the tops of the frames too, under the mountain camp sugar/newspaper.


----------



## concrete-bees (Jun 20, 2009)

if there is mold in the hive - i would not point the finger at the SBB id look up to the top venting - also if you have too few bees they cant move the air - this is what causes the mold ...lack of bees!!!!... i say this because i have both solid and screen bottoms and see no difference untill they coloney starts to fail 

hope this helps 

also - if the mold is not too thick - id freeze the frames in the freezer and them put them back on in about May - that way you have more bees to clean the comb

best of luck


----------



## hoodswoods (May 15, 2009)

I have to believe that, without some sort of mechanical system that can dynamically control the consequences of changing thermodynamics within a hive, we are at the whim of the weather, our bees and our hive configuration.

Too much air flow and they are liable to freeze, too less and we have a build-up of moisture, mold and which can freeze...

Provide a good vent flow bottom-to-top, apply a usable dissicant (dry sugar) above the frames and trust the bees to 'deal with it'.

Some % of mold has to be tolerable, but I'm no expert - it's going to be gone come some warm spring days and good ventillation. I keep my SBB open, a small entrance hole and pretty good vents at the top (10 sq. inches) over my dry sugar.

My bees could all be dead in a week, but when we put them into a predetermined and manufactured area - what can you do?


----------



## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

I see moist hives that have both the SBB open and a slot vent in the inner cover rim.


----------



## Tom G. Laury (May 24, 2008)

The comb and feed is actually more valuable than the bees themselves. Store, sort, and get ready for next year. It's all perfectly good.


----------



## Beeslave (Feb 6, 2009)

USCBeeMan said:


> There was also a light dusting of this light gray mold on almost all of the capped honey in the brood box.
> .


Can you post a pic of this. What I think you are describing is not mold but is what happens to frames of capped honey and the frames themselves that is natural.


----------



## USCBeeMan (Feb 7, 2009)

Will post some pics. Have to download from camera tomorrow.


----------



## honeydreams (Aug 10, 2009)

the girls will clean up the mold no problem. I swear I must be doing something wrong. Because I use a SBB have a 2/8 shimed gap under my inside cover and my hives are nice dry and warm I put straw bails around the hives to provide a wind break. out side of that I don't have a moisture problem in my hives And I live on the out skirts of the only rainforst in the lower 48 states.


----------



## concrete-bees (Jun 20, 2009)

Honeydreams 

yeah ive been through Bardy years ago and now that im up in Skagit County .... im still dripping from you city!!!!!! that place is wet - i was wondering if you get more then 3 days of flight days for the bees???? Just kidding but yeah its wet - 

like i said before i have both the SBB and Solid and no mold but i have had mold on them before - and it was only ever on a hive that was not strong enough to make it to spring - in that case its not worth my time to do CPR on it - just know that next year - if in dought wether or not a hive is strong enough to make it all winter long - combine it - you can always spilt it back in spring -


----------



## USCBeeMan (Feb 7, 2009)

Here are some pictures:

You will not that there is not a lot of honey in the brood box but there was honey stores in the medium super above. It was clean and had no mold at all.

Moldy capped honey and dead bees. Can also see the light gray/blue mold on comb.






















This is the moldy nasty stuff that was in tray below the screened bottom board.


----------



## USCBeeMan (Feb 7, 2009)

Here is a frame that has honey but they were not on this frame. Note to left is the slide out tray with the "gunk" at the bottom. Should have removed that board shortly after putting the hive on the bottom board.


----------



## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

Looks like a common "CCD" die out to me. You should not let your SSB tray go uncleaned for so long, it looks like it collect water and molds. That is a SBB problem -requires maintenance.


----------



## USCBeeMan (Feb 7, 2009)

Yea, I know. That is the only hive that had a board below the SBB. Again, won't do that again. I do now have 10 full brood frames with comb and some honey and 10 medium frames with comb and some of the also have some honey.

These should help me out with swarms and splits. Can use the medium comb to get a jump on the spring nectar flow.

Also purchased 3 shallow supers with 9 frames of nice comb in each. Really don't want to stay with any shallows but the price was to good to turn down. As above, will get me a jump on the spring nectar flow.


----------



## Beeslave (Feb 6, 2009)

Your frame with capped honey on the corners with a blue tint-Warm the frame and see if it dissapears. I've seen that when frames get cold in the hive. Didn't think it was mold though. I could be wrong. Obviously that is mold in the tray.


----------



## USCBeeMan (Feb 7, 2009)

Will check that out tomorrow. But the color is still on the comb and capped honey 2 days later.


----------

