Feeding and mold

[caticind]

My package bees have not yet built out their second deep of comb.  The first was built very quickly, but since then the girls have been reluctant to build more.  I can think of a couple of theories, the main one being that there was a shortage of labor.  They stopped as the population of package bees was beginning to decline sharply, before the new brood started to hatch out - maybe most of the bees were needed to cover brood or forage and they didn't feel pressed to build more comb.  Theory number two is that there was insufficient nectar flow and it was all being used to make bee bread.

I took the question to my local beek listserv and they advised me to continue feeding sugar syrup until the second deep was mostly drawn, and that it wouldn't hurt the colony even if they were wrong.  This is a side issue, just to explain why I'm still feeding during flow.

The bees continue to take syrup from my top feeder, but are eating pretty slowly.  They still haven't built much wax in the second deep, but have 3 frames of capped syrup and or honey and another frame open in the bottom deep.  However, it's been hot and humid here lately, and humid in particular with rain at least once a day in my area.

Because of the way a top feeder goes on the hive, when it's on the inner cover is completely inaccessible to the bees.  In the last couple of weeks I have seen an increase in mildew on the bottom of the inner cover, and this week I started to see greenish mold.  There's only a little mold on the top of the inner cover, so I'm guessing that it's the result of being directly over a pool of sugar water for weeks in 94 degree hive temperatures.

My main question is: will this mold/mildew harm the bees in any way?  Question 2 is: will the bees clean the cover and stop further mold if I remove the feeder so the bees can access both sides of the inner cover?

[D Coates]

1.  It doesn't look or sound good but I have yet to see adverse effects from feeding moldy syrup (within reason of course, if it stinks and has enough hair to shave, get rid of it)

2.  The will propolize the inner cover and that will stop the mold from continuing

[caticind]

The odd part is that the syrup itself is clear and not moldy.  It's the wood of the inner cover that is growing mold and mildew.

[AllenF]

Get some air flow in there.   Prop up you lid in a corner with a small rock.

[caticind]

Update:

The feeder was drawn down so I removed it and set the inner cover directly on top of the top body, then put a shim under one side of the telescoping cover to give some more air space and also opened the top entrance.

A day later the bees had cleaned every bit of the mold off and started propolizing.  Coincidentally, last night was also the first night that they bearded (I would have expected it earlier, it's been so hot) and I saw some bees washboarding very intently on the bottom board.

I had also moved three frames of capped stores up to the top body and interspersed them with foundationless frames to try and get the bees drawing the second body (they had ignored it for three weeks).  Now they are finally getting started, drawing very pretty comb in the foundationless frames.  Looking good, girls!

[D Coates]

It appears you and I have the same feeders.  It definately comes from a lack of airflow but there' really nothing you can do about it without exposing the bees to drowning or a potential for robbing.  I found the newer (unpropolized) the hardware is the more of a problem this can be.  Sounds like you and they are doing great!

[caticind]

It appears you and I have the same feeders.  It definately comes from a lack of airflow but there' really nothing you can do about it without exposing the bees to drowning or a potential for robbing.  I found the newer (unpropolized) the hardware is the more of a problem this can be.  Sounds like you and they are doing great!

With the sole exception of this mold issue I am really fond of these modified Miller top feeders.  Got mine from Busy Bee in Chapel Hill.  They are wooden, and have a single side access covered with metal mesh.  For a feeder that can hold over a gallon of syrup, I have had very little drowning, no more than a dozen bees in 2 months.  I think it will work fine provided I don't have to leave it on for long periods during hot weather as I did this year to get the package going.

I used exterior stain on all of my woodenware rather than painting, figuring it will stand up just as well to the elements and look better (to my eyes).  But I didn't stain the interiors of boxes or the feeder, since the bees would be in close contact with any fumes they give off.  I'll just have to see if propolis is sufficient to prevent further deterioration.  I have several large pine trees in my yard, so the girls have plenty of pine-scented resin to go around.