How to deal with mold in hives after winter

When examining colonies after winter, the beekeeper often notices mold on the frames or walls of the hive. By itself, mold is not a deadly factor for the life of the bee colony, but its presence indicates the presence in the hive of the enemy of bees No. 1 – dampness.

Mold in the hive after wintering is an eloquent sign of trouble, which should definitely alert the owner of the apiary.

The content of the article

  • 1 The importance of moisture control
  • 2 Methods of struggle
  • 3 preventive measures

The importance of moisture control

With the proper amount of food, bees can easily tolerate any winter and spring frosts. Such resistance to adverse conditions is due to their origin from the natural environment, where no one insulates insects in winter. But at the same time, the humidity in the hive is poorly tolerated by the bees.

Dampness can cause various dangerous fungal diseases. And honey from excessive moisture in the nest tends to liquefy, ferment and cause diarrhea.

All of the above complex of problems requires the beekeeper to be able to provide an acceptable level of humidity in the hive!

If the beekeeper finds mold in the hive, two important questions immediately arise:

  1. What to do now?
  2. What mistakes were made in the fall when insulating and organizing ventilation of the nest, and how to avoid them in the future?

Methods of struggle

mold on wood

If in spring white or greenish mold is found on the frames or black on the walls of the hive, it is better not to disturb the bees and do nothing before the cleaning flight, since, as already mentioned, in the presence of feed, mold itself is not dangerous.

After the flight, it is necessary to make a cursory examination of the family and assess the extent of the defeat of the hive.

Processing Order:

  1. The walls of the hive are wiped at first with a damp (never wet!) Rag to prevent the spread of disease-causing spores throughout the hive.
  2. The affected areas are scraped with a chisel. Burning is carried out with a gas burner. They work with fire, preventing the beginning of charring of the wall boards and observing fire safety measures!
  3. Then the pore is removed (especially from the entrances, where it prevents the flow of fresh air).
  4. If necessary, the insulation is changed to dry mattresses or pillows. The farm must have a supply of insulation for the spring!
  5. The nest must be reduced to a full cover, that is, the bees must cover all available frames.
  6. Normal ventilation is ensured by opening the entrances in accordance with weather conditions.
  7. Optionally, you can treat the hive with one of the disinfectants available from veterinary stores. For example, Virkon S will do.

If there is a severe mold infestation, the whole family must be transplanted into a spare clean hive!

If mold appears in the hives on the frames or on the sushi itself, these areas must be carefully treated. The combs freed from feed are sent for re-melting. And those that still have honey in it are cleaned by removing the affected areas of the land with a chisel to foundation. After that, you need to open the seal, sprinkle the frame with warm water and give the bees for feeding by the outpost board.

If the frame is severely affected, it is better not to leave it in the hive after opening, but to take it out 30 meters from the apiary and wait until the bees take all the honey. After that, the empty frames should also be sent for reheating. The resulting wax can be used without any restrictions.

It is categorically not recommended to leave frames in the nest after being damaged by mold!

preventive measures

damaged frame

To correctly answer the question of how to avoid the appearance of mold in the hive, it is necessary to take into account the processes occurring in the bee nest during wintering.

In winter, bees consume honey for heating, which contains up to 20% of water. Some more moisture enters the house during ventilation, especially during the spring thaws. All this moisture in the form of steam rises with a warm air stream from the insect club to the upper part of the dwelling. And when the air temperature is cooled to the dew point, it condenses on the cold boards of the hive.

Bees staying in the club in winter do not have the opportunity to air their hive! This responsibility lies entirely with the beekeeper.

The correct supply of fresh air depends on many factors: the type of beehives, methods of insulation, climatic conditions of the region where the apiary is located, the method of wintering – outdoors or in a shelter.

Each apiary owner has his own secrets of ventilation of hives, developed by many years of trial and error. Experienced beekeepers know very well that mold in hives after winter is directly related to mistakes made in caring for their pets. And such annoying mistakes must be avoided.

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Anna Evans

Author ✓ Farmer

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