I suspect foulbrood.

[Mklangelo]

It's a sour smell.  How can I be sure?  It's a strong smell. 

[Brian D. Bray]

It's a sour smell.  How can I be sure?  It's a strong smell. 

Use a wooden matchstick or toothpick and poke into a capped brood cell.  The interior, if foulbrood, will be gooey and cling to the wood.  With AFB the goo is ropey and will stretch elastic like and snap back, with EFB it will cling but seperate will the wood is removed from the cell.  Both have an odor reminiscent of rotting meat.

[SgtMaj]

Bear in mind that this is also goldenrod season for a great deal of the country, and goldenrod honey has a very distinct, rather unappealing smell to it while curing.

[Mklangelo]

Thank for the replies.  I doubt it's goldenrod since only one hive has the smell.  If there's Goldenrod around I'm guessing they would all have found it.  Does that make sense?

[SgtMaj]

It does to me.

[Scadsobees]

Sometimes one hive will find a stronger floral source than the other hives.  Sour smell is all about goldenrod.

Tis' the season.....

If you have foulbrood so bad that you can smell it outside the hive, I'd guess that they would be hopeless.  I doubt it could have gotten that far without you noticing.

It is good to check, but I wouldn't worry about it.

[Michael Bush]

If you have no sunken cappings etc. then I wouldn't worry about it.  But I would look at the brood nest and check.

[Mklangelo]

Today I lifted the outer cover and took a sniff.  Clean as a whistle.  That goldenrod is new one on me. 

Even though all the supers are off for the year, I'm hoping in future that Goldenrod honey tastes better than it smells. 


Thanks much!

[SgtMaj]

Fortuneately it does... though there's nothing wrong with using it to overwinter the hive with... maybe even freeze a few frames to give back to them next summer after you take ALL of the spring harvest instead of just most of it.

[Mklangelo]

Fortuneately it does... though there's nothing wrong with using it to overwinter the hive with... maybe even freeze a few frames to give back to them next summer after you take ALL of the spring harvest instead of just most of it.

This particular hive didn't have any honey for me all year.  What they have is what they have.  They are gobbling up the syrup, so if they take it, I'll give it. 

[Mklangelo]

Fortuneately it does... though there's nothing wrong with using it to overwinter the hive with... maybe even freeze a few frames to give back to them next summer after you take ALL of the spring harvest instead of just most of it.

Spring harvest?  What is that?  There is no spring harvest around here.  Mid july is the soonest I have seen.