Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: JackM on March 07, 2014, 06:10:34 PM

Title: Sick bees?
Post by: JackM on March 07, 2014, 06:10:34 PM
Was in the broodnest of one hive, hive looked like moisture had been a problem.  First photos in the video show a grayish discoloration on the top of the deep frames.  The bees were in a super above this deep, an occasional dead bee sticking in, no brood, no capped brood, no eggs, no evidence of any of the above in the deep.  The super was one of the only ones I had left with bizarre comb, I did not disturb what is obviously the brood nest, so it became the bottom, and I put an empty box on top of that.  The super was heavy enough I don't think they need to be feed.  I do have frames of honey to feed, and did in a different hive.

Anyhow, the photos are in a youtubevideo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1A1hOXGOGbg) and I would appreciate you takiing a look at it and letting me know if you think this is sugar they are getting somewhere?  Mold?  Illness?  Fungus?  No odor that I noticed, not a huge number of dead bees at the bottom.

The hive these came from is weak but alive and active, maybe only the size of a package.  Interestingly, the hive I most expected to loose was gang busters far superior to the other two, so ti got a super and the queen excluder since I know for sure where she is.  Along with that, it only had a screened, no bottom in it all winter, was 6" off the ground but wind protected around the base.  They were almost out of honey so they got a frame.  I did not re-use any of that equipment, is scraping them enough or do they need burned?
Title: Re: Sick bees?
Post by: buzzbee on March 07, 2014, 06:31:04 PM
You may have slight molding,but it may be bloom on the wax. I also see some crystallized honey or last falls syrup. They should be able to clean this up okay.
Title: Re: Sick bees?
Post by: JackM on March 07, 2014, 06:46:30 PM
Thanks for the fast reply.  Only a few bees are cleaning it up, I laid it out near the garden and they can work on it till the possum's get it.  I didn't feed last fall, so they got that elsewhere. 
Title: Re: Sick bees?
Post by: buzzbee on March 07, 2014, 06:59:49 PM
I've seen some honeys crystallize in the comb before too.