mold on frames???

pembroke · December 30, 2011, 11:22:00 AM

on another subject about frames I read where bees will clean up mold on/in frames/foundation. I would think this would be unhealthy for bees. I would think that wax should be cut out and disposed of and frames soaked in water and bleach,rinsed and aired out for a period of time to reduce bleach odor. comments appreciated. Pembroke

ziffabeek · December 30, 2011, 01:37:59 PM

I'm kind of interested in this as well. I left some extracted frames outside for a bit (trying to discourage wax moth by leaving them in the sun til "i got around toit" and they got rained on :() They have some really black wet looking mold on them now that looks noxious! I am really not sure I want to expose the bees to it, so I was planning on cutting it out and melting it, and washing the frames really well, maybe even bleaching them. I am mad at myself for losing the drawn out wax as a resource. Beyond knowing that I need to not procrastinate and wrap these frames up and store them more quickly, i'm interested to hear thoughts on how much, what kind etc of mold the bees can take and what the impact of exposing them to molds might be.

What say you guys??

love,
ziffa

rdy-b · December 30, 2011, 08:14:59 PM

may types of mold-color of mold is a indicator of the type-Blue -Green -White- Pink
from what i understand its the BLACK MOLD-thats unhealthy-what color is your mold- :lol: so much discussion these days about flora and fauna inside the hive-micro balance of good and bad -woudnt want that out of balance-
might even be beneficial --RDY-B

pembroke · December 31, 2011, 09:03:18 AM

I had a worker that was laying and I decided to close it up and start over. After a couple weeks I opened and found all dead. Cleaned up hive and put in plastic bag with moth crystals thinking I would straighten out and clean up later. I finally got around to poening the bag and GROSS green mold on almost all frames and the hive body. What I did to clean up: removed ALL drawn foundation and destroyed, scraped all frames and cleaned and soaked them in a solution of 1cup bleach to 2gal water for 1hr.,rinsed in clean water for an hr. and aired out till smell was gone. did the same with hive body. I don't want my bees to be exposed to any more harmful stuff than necessary. Just my thoughts. pembroke

yockey5 · December 31, 2011, 10:33:54 AM

have had mold in the past and the bees always cleaned it up?

Finski · December 31, 2011, 01:04:12 PM

.
Bees clean all as they do without human. But to help to clean the comb....

Think first, is is easier to give a new foundation, or bees do hard work to tear the comb off and then draw a new.

If a new comb is moldy, in cold air it is crisby. It is easy to brush cell walls away.

If the ruined place is a small patch like rotten brood, I cut it away and glue into the hole a piece of foundation.

BjornBee · December 31, 2011, 01:25:01 PM

You could also just let the bees build comb after cutting out any bad areas.

Finski · December 31, 2011, 04:12:36 PM

Quote from: BjornBee on December 31, 2011, 01:25:01 PM
You could also just let the bees build comb after cutting out any bad areas.

it works in late summer but after spring they are eager to make drone combs. That is the reason for patch.

BjornBee · December 31, 2011, 07:00:10 PM

Sorry....I was basing it on having moldy frames from dead out hives. I think you were the first to mention rotten brood. Which I think most normally see in the spring after winter. But maybe up there you got rotten moldy frames in late summer. What do I know.

If you got moldy frames and your cutting out bad areas, installing patch foundation, after the main flow, in late summer, you got bigger problems than I could ever help you with.

Carry on. ;)

rdy-b · December 31, 2011, 09:37:07 PM

Quote from: pembroke on December 31, 2011, 09:03:18 AM
I had a worker that was laying and I decided to close it up and start over. After a couple weeks I opened and found all dead. Cleaned up hive and put in plastic bag with moth crystals thinking I would straighten out and clean up later. I finally got around to poening the bag and GROSS green mold on almost all frames and the hive body. What I did to clean up: removed ALL drawn foundation and destroyed, scraped all frames and cleaned and soaked them in a solution of 1cup bleach to 2gal water for 1hr.,rinsed in clean water for an hr. and aired out till smell was gone. did the same with hive body. I don't want my bees to be exposed to any more harmful stuff than necessary. Just my thoughts. pembroke

man o man -garbage bag - :lol: RDY-B

Finski · January 01, 2012, 06:08:59 AM

Quote from: BjornBee on December 31, 2011, 07:00:10 PM
Sorry....I was basing it on you got bigger problems than I could ever help you with.

Carry on. ;)

i manage with my own. I have not asked help....

I have met rotten brood in late summer this way. First I take drone brood frames away because of mites. Then I forget the frame into frame storage and some day the aroma alarms that something is really wrong.... So I find some rotten brood ......what a smell.....

Worker brood is smaller and it is is easier to dry up.

.often I give a frame to birds to clean up. Like just now 30 great tits clean my wax moth frames. If hive has starved they pull out most of dead bees from comb cells.

I have just now a big wax moth problem. I have never had before.

.

bailey · January 05, 2012, 12:32:26 AM

i get alot of mold on combs in stored supers that have pollen in them.
and those that get rained on. just pop them in and let the bees clean up the combs, they will look great before they begin to fill them. i have done that for the past 4 years and have no problems with it.

bailey
:-D

Rich V · January 05, 2012, 01:40:09 AM

If I have lite mold on a frame I'll just let the bees clean it up. If I think its to heavy I'll cut it out, or swipe it with a small propane torch, the torch does far less damage.

yockey5 · January 05, 2012, 10:00:47 AM

Quote from: Rich V on January 05, 2012, 01:40:09 AM
If I have lite mold on a frame I'll just let the bees clean it up. If I think its to heavy I'll cut it out, or swipe it with a small propane torch, the torch does far less damage.

I have done this as well with good results.

AliciaH · January 05, 2012, 12:23:51 PM

Quote from: yockey5 on January 05, 2012, 10:00:47 AM
Quote from: Rich V on January 05, 2012, 01:40:09 AM
If I have lite mold on a frame I'll just let the bees clean it up. If I think its to heavy I'll cut it out, or swipe it with a small propane torch, the torch does far less damage.

I have done this as well with good results.

I've never even thought of this. Is it a quick pass over the mold with the torch? Does the mold melt or ignite? How much of the wax patten is left?

Rich V · January 05, 2012, 01:19:13 PM

Quote from: AliciaH on January 05, 2012, 12:23:51 PM
Quote from: yockey5 on January 05, 2012, 10:00:47 AM
Quote from: Rich V on January 05, 2012, 01:40:09 AM
If I have lite mold on a frame I'll just let the bees clean it up. If I think its to heavy I'll cut it out, or swipe it with a small propane torch, the torch does far less damage.

I have done this as well with good results.

I've never even thought of this. Is it a quick pass over the mold with the torch? Does the mold melt or ignite? How much of the wax patten is left?

After you have done it a few times you will get the hang of it. Drag the flame across not to fast ,but not slow. You will see the edge of the foundation melt just a little on the edge. Practice on an old frame.