What is this stuff??

annette · April 22, 2007, 12:56:36 PM

Do not have a camera yet to take pictures, although don't think it would show up in a photo anyway. I had been smelling a foul smell from my hives for months, and could not see anything when I did a search.

Well yesterday, I finally found the source of the odor. I took a frame of honey to crush and strain and then I saw it. On the wooden frame,on the sides, it was like a grayish colored blob of tar. Put my nose to it, and bingo that was the odor I have been smelling all these months. Like a fermented alcohol smell. I took my hive tool, and tried to scrap it off. It was tough like tar and sticky like popolis. It was all over the ends of the frames. I believe this stuff in all over the inside of my hive. I had an extremely bad mildew problem this winter. The honey was superb and not affected by this stuff.

My question is will the bees eventually clean this stuff up, or do I have to pull each and every frames in my hive and scrap this stuff off. It did not come off easily.

Please help me
Annette

Cindi · April 22, 2007, 01:10:05 PM

Annette, certainly sounds like mildewy propolis. Certainly by the sounds of it, it is no doubt propolis. Why do you have such a mildew problem? Shouldn't be so. Do you have ventilation at the top of your hive\? What I mean is, is there a way for the condensation to escape, i.e., a slot in the inner cover the same side as the bottom entrance to the hive? If there is correct ventilation, you should not be experiencing mildew. There needs to be airflow for the moisture to escape via the top of the hive.

Await other answers from the forum, there are some very knowledgeable members "out there". Best of a beautiful day, Cindi

annette · April 22, 2007, 01:19:29 PM

This winter, being my first winter with the bees, I thought just having the SBB open all winter would provide enough ventilation,(got some bad advice, apparently) so I kept the migratory top closed all winter. I did not know that I had such a huge population overwintering, and I also apparently had to much honey left for them, which also created condensation.

Well they showed me - they swarmed in March. Now I have just purchased a ventilated cover from Honey Run apiaries and do not expect to have any problems anymore.

Thank you for the reply
Annette

Michael Bush · April 22, 2007, 02:20:30 PM

Fermented alcohol smell sounds more like some honey is fermenting from getting wet. Propolis will absorb alcohol, but yeast won't turn it into alcohol.

annette · April 22, 2007, 02:21:20 PM

Do I need to remove this honey or can leave for bees???

Cindi · April 23, 2007, 01:50:04 AM

Annette, I cannot answer this because it is unknown, but I think it would be OK. Best of a beautiful day, great health. Cindi

annette · April 23, 2007, 11:17:35 PM

Quote from: Michael Bush on April 22, 2007, 02:20:30 PM
Fermented alcohol smell sounds more like some honey is fermenting from getting wet. Propolis will absorb alcohol, but yeast won't turn it into alcohol.

So what I need to know is this. This gray sticky stuff is on some of the wooden frames and I think in the sides of the super. Do I myself scrap it off? do I let the bees do it and will they clean it up. So far it has been in there for several months.

If it is from fermented honey, do I remove the fermented honey. I do not see any fermented honey when I look at the honey frames. The honey left over from the winter looks rather dark in color, but do not see anything bubbly that would look like fermented honey. I just need to know more about what to do and how to rid the hive of this odor.

Sorry to keep pressing this but I am still confused.
Annette

Cindi · April 25, 2007, 10:04:36 AM

Annette, being small beekeepers, I would clean and scrape this stuff off. The bees won't clean it off, it is their house glue and they worked hard to collect this resin to place within their home. They use it to seal cracks, sterilize their home and to "glue" parts together, for example the frames. They are very intelligent little beings.

I am very anal retentive when it comes to the cleanliness of my hives. After I am finished with the supers, frames, everything that has been used by the bees, before I store it, I take a long time and clean it all up. I scrape the propolis off all the frames, hive parts and boxes the best that I can and then store them for winter. It is alot of work, but I know how propolis can build up and become very much in the way. This gray propolis, I would wash it once you have scraped it off, if you choose to keep it for any reason.

Besides, with all the propolis that I gather, I have the most beautiful aroma therapy in the world. I put the propolis in a jar and sit it on my kitchen counter. There, any time I choose I can open these little jars, take a deep breath and get taken right back to those beautiful days of summer. The scent of the resins floating in the air, as I lay on the hammock under the pine tree in my yard. Drinking a cool glass of iced tea, relaxing with my grandsons on this hammock and reading them stories. Oh those dog days of summer, soon to be realized, yet another year. Best of this beautiful day, great health to all. Cindi

I hope I have assisted with an answer to some of your questions. Don't worry about asking over and over for help. That is 150% OK, be persistent, don't stop until you feel that your queries have been realized. C.

annette · April 25, 2007, 11:49:36 AM

Cindi,

Thank you for all the beautiful responses to my questions. I just love your upbeat and positive replies.

Yes, when I remove anything from the bee hives I always clean everything properly, but this awful smelling resin is inside of the hive right now and it would be a huge job to remove all the bees off of the supers and clean everything and then place everything back on. So, if I do not have to do this now, I do not want to disturb them so much.

Anyway, right now my biggest problem is that I found out the hive is queenless, and so today I am going to introduce a new queen. Say one of your biggest prayers for this hive.

Sincerely,
Annette from soon to be in the 80's Placerville, California

Cindi · April 25, 2007, 06:16:07 PM

Annette. Thanks for the kind words. Well, for right now, I wouldn't worry about the awful smelling resin, it probably doesn't bother the bees, they don't have the same "smell" as we humans do (and probably thank goodness for them). Don't ya just hate some odours in this world.

I would await responses from others on the forum about this stinky resin though. I am sure that someone will be able to give some advice that you will find great. Good luck with the new queen introduction. Have a wonderful day, great health to all. Cindi