Moldy brood frame

[Poly Hive]

Sorry to say but a classic example of stressing a colony with too much space. I don't even super on 7 frames of brood and sometimes not on 8 if they seem to be struggling to cover the brood.

It is something to take on board by beginners that adding a super is a massive increase of space. If you added to your house a 50% increase in space one of the factors you would consider is "is the heating system big enough?"

A super is just that, a 50% increase in space. The colony is the heating system and they run the brood nest at 34C. Thats warm people. Our daytime temps are not often at that level if ever My orangery is not often over that temp. So it takes a lot of effort for them to achieve.

Bees love warmth as I say over and over but the message needs repe3ating as this instance shows.

PH

 

[Beefriendly]

Worth remembering it is the brood they are keeping warm, not the whole hive.

 

[enrico]

I am a bit confused when you say you had an empty super between the drawn one and the crown board. Do you mean empty if everything? If so be aware that bees will fill any space with comb if they need the space. I Am aware that yours don't need the space at the moment but..... One day they will!
Just advice, not criticism
E

 

[Poly Hive]

The colony is the heating system and they run the brood nest at 34C.

Is that not clear?

PH

 

[Bee Boys]

I am a bit confused when you say you had an empty super between the drawn one and the crown board. Do you mean empty if everything? If so be aware that bees will fill any space with comb if they need the space. I Am aware that yours don't need the space at the moment but..... One day they will!
Just advice, not criticism
E

Sorry I have a brood box then a super which they are starting to fill with honey then an empty super that i am using for feeding then the crown board and roof

 

[pargyle]

Sorry I have a brood box then a super which they are starting to fill with honey then an empty super that i am using for feeding then the crown board and roof

But you are not feeding them at preent are you ?

If you are then they are not storing honey in your super .. they will be storing sugar ....

Like I said earlier .. the super for feeding needs to go ABOVE the crown board and you will need a hole for the feeder in the crown board.

 

[Bee Boys]

At the moment we are feeding cheep honey back to the bees.
And yes we will put the feeding super above the crown board next time we go to the bees. Thank you

 

[Bee Boys]

I understand we have probably given them to much space but why only one brood frame with mold?

 

[Erichalfbee]

You are feeding shop bought honey to your bees?
If you are do you not realise you are running the most terrible risk of infecting them and your neighbours bees with American Foulbrood.
I’m sorry but why has it taken an entire thread to drip feed all this information. We are trying to help after all.

 

[Bee Boys]

Yes
I am feeding with shop honey.
And sorry I did not think about American foulbrood and thank you all for your help.

 

[XYZ]

Yes
I am feeding with shop honey.
And sorry I did not think about American foulbrood and thank you all for your help.

Might be best you have another look through this thread and devise a plan for how you're going to sort it out. Shouldn't be too difficult.
Got any pics of the colony and your setup?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Yes
I am feeding with shop honey.

Oh dear oh dear - I'm assuming also that it's the cheap blue label stuff.

You should never ever feed the bees honey that isn't their own, but now we need to help you sort out this mess and hopefully there's no lasting damage done.

I think the first thing is, you need to join your local association and get a mentor.
Secondly, don't watch any beekeeping videos on youtube unless they've been recommended on here .
get rid of the honey you're feeding and replace with sugar syrup but
Personally I wouldn't touch any of the comb they have drawn using the shop honey, or the 'honey' they have stored in it. The safest thing to do would be to clear the bees out of it ASAP, remove the super, take out the frames and put them on the bonfire, do the same with the frames full of honey in the brood box.
Scorch the supers inside and out with a blowlamp, make new frames and wait until the next season before thinking of putting a super on.
Hopefully there is no real damage, take it as a valuable lesson and learn from it.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Might be best you have another look through this thread and devise a plan for how you're going to sort it out. Shouldn't be too difficult.
Got any pics of the colony and your setup?

The only sensible thing is to clear the super and dispose of the honey. Abandon all hopes of adding another and get the SBI over to give your bees the once over.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The only sensible thing is to clear the super and dispose of the honey. Abandon all hopes of adding another and get the SBI over to give your bees the once over.

 

[Beefriendly]

I think you lot are being a bit OTT here.
The chances of AFB from feeding supermarket honey are very low, not impossible but very very low.
IIRC a larvae needs to ingest at least 10? spores for an infection to start.
The larvae aint eating the honey.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I think you lot are being a bit OTT here.
The chances of AFB from feeding supermarket honey are very low, not impossible but very very low.
IIRC a larvae needs to ingest at least 10? spores for an infection to start.
The larvae aint eating the honey.

Would you be happy with somebody in your Apiary feeding cheap honey to their bees?
Better safe than sorry

 

[Beefriendly]

Would you be happy with somebody in your Apiary feeding cheap honey to their bees?
Better safe than sorry

I am currently feeding very cheap honey to some of my bees and am quite happy....I wouldn't be happy if someone else was feeding anything to bees in MY apiary.

 

[Beefriendly]

Before anyone's blood pressure rises too high and they become apocalyptic...it's my own cheap honey. Some soft set that accidentally got sat in the sun for too long and separated.
I most certainly would not recommend feeding supermarket non EU honey to your bees. Although I wouldn't burn down the hive if I had..../big grin/

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

so why make such a crass, unqualified and downright irresponsible statement then

 

[Erichalfbee]

I am currently feeding very cheap honey to some of my bees and am quite happy....I wouldn't be happy if someone else was feeding anything to bees in MY apiary.

This is the beginners section and that is a really irresponsible comment to make even if you raised another reply to qualify your joke.