Can Bees Clean Away Mould?

[Chunky Plumpy]

Hello,

I am delighted that both my hives look like they survived the winter, my first hive is looking very well indeed. The second hive was a rather week nuc late summer last year, it only had 3 busy frames so I'm pleased it made it through winter at all. However, I think all that extra space in the brood box created an ideal environment for mould at the extremities:



This is an empty frame that came in the nuc, the bees have never taken to it and looks like it's had a long life. I swapped it out today and put a nice clean foundation frame in its place. I think I have learned a lesson, try and fill or better insulate the side of a very small colony over winter but nonetheless I have a couple of newbie questions:

1) Can bees clean mould off frames as they expand into infected areas such as this frame?
2) When is a frame so far gone it's better to simply swap it out; saving the bees having to deal with it?

As this colony grows I'm sure they'll fill the space and mould shall become less of an issue but wondered if the bees are as bothered by mould in the hive as much as I am? Cheers, CP.

 

[JamezF]

In the world beyond hives created by humans, honey bees probably have to deal with this sort of stuff all the time. Unless the entire frame were a mouldy ruin I don't think I'd really worry about it.

James

 

[ericbeaumont]

empty frame that came in the nuc

Comb is not brilliant but not bad, and a strong colony will clean and use it. It's the frame the worries me: you use plastic ends?

 

[Ian123]

Personally I’d just bin it although I’ve used similar in the past. If mould has really got into the wax perhaps like the bottom couple of inches they may chew away and rebuild.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Seems like a heck of a lot of work for the bees. I would bin it

 

[The Poot]

For what it’s worth, I too would bin it.

 

[enrico]

For what it’s worth, I too would bin it.

They will clean mouldy pollen but when it gets ingrained in the wax like that I melt it down and trade it in for new foundation.

 

[plain_hunt]

I work on the basis that if I wouldn’t like to live in a house with that much mould, then neither will the bees, so like others, I remove them. It seems to be asking them a lot to remove that much mould. Having said that, I’ve got a colony that I thought was unlikely to survive the week that was on grotty combs, and they’ve had a complete change of mind and have quadrupled in size. They were looking at the mouldy frames and I think trying to clean them up. I’ve done a Bailey comb change on them now they’ve decided to live!

 

[Garry R]

Holes in the comb, drone comb, crushed comb and mould. Two things it may be useful for. a)as an old comb in a bait hive and once the swarm is, in change it or b) ditch it immediately.

 

[Chunky Plumpy]

Thanks everyone for your replies, I obviously leaned in the direction of binning It having already removed it.

I did so on the basis that it looked like hard work for a small colony, so whilst at risk of not ‘toughening them up’ I thought I was lending a hand.

Good to learn mould is not a concern to bees, every day is a school day.

@ericbeaumont I’m curious by your comment observing the plastic ends? The nuc was a wooden box and contained what I’d guess were the oldest and least desirable frames the previous owner had, mixing frame types. I use all wood self spacing frames (they have a proper name I don’t recall) but to stop different frame types squishing the bees I had to add plastic spacers to some neighbouring frames.

Is plastic in the hive a sin??? CP.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

self spacing frames (they have a proper name I don’t recall)

Hoffmans

Is plastic in the hive a sin?

No, but those plastic spacers are a relic from the dark ages and an abomination

 

[JamezF]

No, but those plastic spacers are a relic from the dark ages and an abomination

Though some BKAs still promote their use

Personally I won't use them because of all the potential waste plastic.

James

 

[Chunky Plumpy]

Hoffmans

No, but those plastic spacers are a relic from the dark ages and an abomination

Indeed they are an “abomination”

The spacing is slightly different so I only get 10 frames in the brood box which is somewhat unsatisfactory.

They are all the original nuc frames like the mouldy one which I suspect came off The Arc. I’ll google how to cycle in new ones or perhaps demonstrate my inexperience by starting yet another newbie thread on the subject. Cheers CP.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Though some BKAs still promote their use

fair play, they are trying to modernise - I've heard they allow inspections without the mandatory top hats now

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I’ll google how to cycle in new ones

the only way you can is by putting a plastic spacer to each side of the DN1 frame, then work it out towards the side of the brood box and remove once free of brood

 

[Swarm]

Indeed they are an “abomination”

The spacing is slightly different so I only get 10 frames in the brood box which is somewhat unsatisfactory.

They are all the original nuc frames like the mouldy one which I suspect came off The Arc. I’ll google how to cycle in new ones or perhaps demonstrate my inexperience by starting yet another newbie thread on the subject. Cheers CP.

They are just another method of frame spacing and it sounds like you are using them incorrectly if you can only get ten frames in the box, that is ten frame spacing intended for supers.

 

[Chunky Plumpy]

They are just another method of frame spacing and it sounds like you are using them incorrectly if you can only get ten frames in the box, that is ten frame spacing intended for supers.

Hi @Swarm, I’m confident I’m doing most things incorrectly as I muddle along but mould and these plastic spacer frames are the only difference between the hives with one hosting 11 whilst this one only 10.

I hope that cycling them out will get me back up to 11, and I accept it could be the spacing, warped frames, swollen timber, goo expansion or just me… but I’ll work that out as I cycle them out to appease my OCD which mandates uniformity (even the different colour plastic gets my eye twitching when I open the hive )

I think I’m ready to tackle these mouldy frames and cycle some ancient ones out having also seen some other really helpful threads in this Newbee section. Cheers CP.

 

[rusper]

Hi @Swarm, I’m confident I’m doing most things incorrectly as I muddle along but mould and these plastic spacer frames are the only difference between the hives with one hosting 11 whilst this one only 10.

I hope that cycling them out will get me back up to 11, and I accept it could be the spacing, warped frames, swollen timber, goo expansion or just me… but I’ll work that out as I cycle them out to appease my OCD which mandates uniformity (even the different colour plastic gets my eye twitching when I open the hive )

I think I’m ready to tackle these mouldy frames and cycle some ancient ones out having also seen some other really helpful threads in this Newbee section. Cheers CP.

A WBC brood box will only take 10 frames at "normal" spacing.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

A WBC brood box will only take 10 frames at "normal" spacing.

yes, it seems that most have missed the OP's hive type as in his profile, obviously it depends whether he's using the 'proper' WBC inners or managing to fit a standard National brood box into the lifts. I struggle to envision someone wedging eleven Hoffmans into a WBC inner unless using a lump hammer to 'persuade' them in.
maybe @Chunky Plumpy could elucidate
maybe a picture of the spacer, as some can be fettled to ten or eleven frame spacings

 

[enrico]

Don't be put off by plastic ends. They have their uses for mixed frames and I use them often. There is NOTHING wrong with them if used properly.