Acrid, foul smell from a hive

[Mklangelo]

I really don't know how else to describe it.  If it's just the smell of dead bees and feces, then why just on one hive and not the others?  They all have dead bees.  I don't know what Foulbrood smells like. 


Will the surviving bees carry out the dead?  Or is that my job?


But they did survive the winter.    :-)

Can someone describe what AFB smells like?  I haven't opened the hives yet.  I'll have a look tomorrow if weather permits.

[Kathyp]

have you cleaned your bottom board since winter?  the dead bees pile up and mush up.  they don't smell good.  if you just scrape them off, the bees will keep it clean for the summer.

[Mklangelo]

Hi Kathy,

I have scraped out what I could reach with my hive tool and a long screwdriver.  This is really the first day of weather here that would permit opening up and getting involved in there without chilling em'.  I'll see what the weather brings tomorrow. 

[JP]

You'll have a better idea once you go in, but it could be a number of things. Dead bee stench, fermented honey/comb stench, don't know if you have shb in your area, but once they take over and lay in the broodcomb sections the odor is like rotten eggs. Whatever it is its not good. Make a clear diagnosis and if afb you will need to burn the equipment, at least scorch it anyway to kill the spores.

In a healthy hive, they will carry out the dead, some colonies more than others.


...JP

[Kathyp]

JP, i think they carry out their dead more in warmer places.  in cold places, the dead seem to accumulate on the BB over the winter.  every year i have to scrape the dead and moldy off the SBB.  when the bees don't move for months at a time, they don't clean house.  by the time they fly, the dead bees are in a yucky clump on the bottom.  i just lift the whole box off and scrape it all out.  after that, they do a good job of house cleaning.

[JP]

JP, i think they carry out their dead more in warmer places.  in cold places, the dead seem to accumulate on the BB over the winter.  every year i have to scrape the dead and moldy off the SBB.  when the bees don't move for months at a time, they don't clean house.  by the time they fly, the dead bees are in a yucky clump on the bottom.  i just lift the whole box off and scrape it all out.  after that, they do a good job of house cleaning.

Kathy, I could see that being a problem, if the decaying/decayed bees are stuck to the bottom board it would be difficult for the bees to remove them. A helping hand is something I'm sure they would appreciate.


...JP

[Michael Bush]

If one is wetter it will smell worse.

[Brian D. Bray]

I really don't know how else to describe it.  If it's just the smell of dead bees and feces, then why just on one hive and not the others?  They all have dead bees.  I don't know what Foulbrood smells like. 


Will the surviving bees carry out the dead?  Or is that my job?


But they did survive the winter.    :-)

Can someone describe what AFB smells like?  I haven't opened the hives yet.  I'll have a look tomorrow if weather permits.

American Foulbrood smells like rotten meat.  Think of finding a calf that's been dead for a week.  European Foulbrood is not as severe a smell and a tad sweeter.  Dead bees and rotten comb with fungus can smell pretty bad but it doesn't have that decayed meat smell of AFB.

[Shawn]

I know this is an old topic but when I opened my hives up the otehr day they smelled of a mix between wet dog and feet. Not very strong. We did get a  lot of rain a few days prior and the temps are now getting into the 80s. I looked in the hoves but didnt see anything unusual. Bottom boards were clear of any dead bees but there was some wax cappings. The outer covers are proped up a little for ventalation. My guess its ferminted sugar water, honey. How do you get rid of the smell without setting the bees back?

[rast]

 Bees will do as they do no matter where. I have seen a couple of plugged up bottom boards here in Fl. from dead bees.

[Brian D. Bray]

I know this is an old topic but when I opened my hives up the otehr day they smelled of a mix between wet dog and feet. Not very strong. We did get a  lot of rain a few days prior and the temps are now getting into the 80s. I looked in the hoves but didnt see anything unusual. Bottom boards were clear of any dead bees but there was some wax cappings. The outer covers are proped up a little for ventalation. My guess its ferminted sugar water, honey. How do you get rid of the smell without setting the bees back?

Such a smell can indeed be caused by the honey, search Ragweed honey for some insight.

Now that you have the smell in the hive you can ignore it or ventilate the hive for air circulation.

[Shawn]

I decided I better vent more so I tought I would put on a SBB in use with my slatted rack. Is that combantion ok? I have the outer cover up a little higher than normal and still dont see any bees using the top as a entrance or guarding it.

[rast]

 Shawn, first, I'm in central Fl. Big weather difference. I have some with both and no problem caused by having both, the slat racks were  primarily to see if they would stop bearding at night. They did. I think Brian uses nothing but slat racks as a bottom with no problem. The screen bottom boards purpose was not really for venting as much as for letting mites fall through. 

[Shawn]

Ok. I just opened them up to see if I could find the source of the smell but it all looked the same to me. I did find supercedure cells all over the frames of brood, probably 4 different frames. At least I hope they are and not swarm cells.

[Brian D. Bray]

Sounds like an opportunity to split a hive, 2 frames of queen cells per split.