Honey Yuck

[Beagle23]

So I made another **** up and this one is painful.

I pulled two supers a couple of weeks ago but haven't had time to extract until today.
I took three frames (I run a very modest operation) and started uncapping with my trusty spoon. I noticed that some cells seemed to be filled with a very dark grey material...funny looking pollen. So I continued uncapping and noticed the kitchen was filling with a pungent smell and that the sides of my tongue felt a bit meh.
It took me a little while to identify what I was smelling but as soon as I did I closed my eyes and ground my teeth to prevent myself screaming obscenities. ApiVar!

It seems that I missed a strip of ApiVar in the spring and that the bees had decided to store the foul powder in frames rather than carry it from the hive. So each frame was riddled with ten or so little grey pellets, and the honey had a horrible acrid after-taste.

So it's all going on the compost heap tomorrow.

Stupid, costly mistake, on top of which my pantry continues to be honeyless.

Has anyone else seen this with ApiVar?

 

[enrico]

Never seen it, but I am afraid I had to smile!!!! I do feel for you though. Bet you won't do that again!
E

 

[Millet]

Why would bees store apivar it has no nutritional value, that is unless they are them type of bees that clean them self of varroa and no further treatment will be required as it is in the comb ready to deploy..

 

[Quis Custodiet]

Why would bees store apivar it has no nutritional value, that is unless they are them type of bees that clean them self of varroa and no further treatment will be required as it is in the comb ready to deploy..

Bees desperate for pollen store some peculiar substances. We had a very poor spring difficult to collect from the traditional sources!

 

[Beagle23]

Why would bees store apivar it has no nutritional value, that is unless they are them type of bees that clean them self of varroa and no further treatment will be required as it is in the comb ready to deploy..

Well quite. It makes no sense, if they didn’t like it why not just carry it out of the hive? I kept thinking I must be mistaken, but the smell is unmistakable and I can’t imagine what else it could possibly be.

 

[Hivemaker.]

I kept thinking I must be mistaken, but the smell is unmistakable and I can’t imagine what else it could possibly be.

Are you talking about thymol? if so that is ApiLife-var.
No strong smell with Apivar... and the bees would never be able to remove the large plastic strips.

 

[Beagle23]

Are you talking about thymol? if so that is ApiLife-var.
No strong smell with Apivar... and the bees would never be able to remove the large plastic strips.

Just checked the pack and yes, it’s Apilife Var

 

[Poly Hive]

Bees have been known to collect and store coal dust.

They ain't perfect.

PH

 

[Millet]

Bees have been known to collect and store coal dust.

They ain't perfect.

PH

Coal dust has just about every mineral known to man, a bit like dog pee..

 

[beebopper]

Really - many minerals but not all known to man by a long shot - but I get your point.

 

[SDM]

Really - many minerals but not all known to man by a long shot - but I get your point.

Why not, honey has.