White growth on foundation

[Dornfield]

Hi All,

Newbee, so hopefully posting in the right place.

I have a hive that is pretty sick (drone laying emergency queen among other things: wax moth for example). I have a number of frames that are fairly decent looking foundation, but have a peculiar white material on them. See picture. It looks fungal to me, and when you zoom in, the white material looks slimy and wet. I have not touched it.

Any suggestions what it might be and what I should do? As the hive is not (yet) firing on all cylinders, the bees appear to be ignoring it rather than removing. Maybe they know not to go near it?

The hive actually belongs to a friend, rather than it being mine, but it is in close proximity to a hive that I am just establishing with a nuc of Buckfast and a new Carniolan mated queen.

Wisdom of crowds: What is this? Treatment?

Best,
Dornfield (how do I change my name too: I missed an 'n' and am now registered as 'Dorfield'?!)

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Sick! sounds terminally hopeless to me. A colony with a DLQ is going nowhere fast. Time to cut your losses I think.
As for that white stuff - just wipe it off

 

[Erichalfbee]

Hi All,


Dornfield (how do I change my name too: I missed an 'n' and am now registered as 'Dorfield'?!)

PM admin and he’ll change it for you.

PS agree with a JBM. A colony with a drone laying queen is going to dwindle to nothing.

 

[Dornfield]

Thanks. I realise without fresh workers the Hive will die, and we are intending to requeen in the coming week! Perhaps when the new queen is laying and the population of bees increases, they will take more of an interest in cleaning whatever that messy frame is, or we might just replace it!

Thanks for the advice on contacting admin too: my username is now resplendent with the missing 'n' reindtroduced!

Dornfield