Welcome, Guest

Author Topic: Sour smell from hive and in honey  (Read 5194 times)

Offline sstowers3699

  • New Bee
  • *
  • Posts: 8
Sour smell from hive and in honey
« on: March 03, 2017, 11:54:01 am »
On Wednesday we had to open the hive and put a new box with frames on top because the bees were building new comb and storing honey in between the inner cover and the frames. When I scraped the burr comb and honey off of the frames, I jarred it because most of it was capped.

When we tasted it, it was super fruity tasting, but also smelled somewhat sour to me. My husband and brother didn't really notice the smell. The honey itself doesn't smell like normal honey to me and I was worried that maybe it was somehow fermented in the couple of days it was in the hive.

However, I'm a little more worried now because the entire hive is giving off this tangy smell. It's not unpleasant, but it smells similar to when they were bringing in goldenrod last year. I did not have a chance to get in to the brood on Wednesday because we ran out of daylight. I'm worried that it might be some kind of foul brood. I plan to check either this afternoon or tomorrow morning so don't criticize me and tell me to get in the hive first.

I just want to know if anyone in North Georgia is having their bees bring in pollen or nectar that is very pungent. Also, if it is foul brood, could that smell get in to the honey? That's where I smelled this first, was in the honey, not in the hive until this morning.

Please and thanks!

Offline sc-bee

  • Super Bee
  • *****
  • Posts: 2985
Re: Sour smell from hive and in honey
« Reply #1 on: March 03, 2017, 01:08:16 pm »
I have not smell AFB and hope not to.... but the inspector states it smells like rotted meat and you will never forget the smell. You are most likely smelling a nectar source. My bees often smell musky from sources we have...
John 3:16

Offline jalentour

  • Field Bee
  • ***
  • Posts: 844
Re: Sour smell from hive and in honey
« Reply #2 on: March 03, 2017, 02:34:38 pm »
Last spring my hive smelled bad to me.  I mentioned it on the forum and someone said it might be goldenrod.  After he mentioned it I went back to the hive and it did smell like the fall goldenrod aroma.  In my area there is a goldenrod spring bloom.  So, you might be right, it could be goldenrod.  The smell went away after a week or so.

Offline Acebird

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 8110
  • Gender: Male
  • Just do it
Re: Sour smell from hive and in honey
« Reply #3 on: March 03, 2017, 05:35:11 pm »
Maybe they are uncapping that same honey that was packed away last fall.  Is the activity ramping up?  Are they bringing in pollen?
Brian Cardinal
Just do it

Offline divemaster1963

  • Heavenly Beekeeper
  • Queen Bee
  • ********
  • Posts: 1354
  • Gender: Male
  • God Protect and watch over our sons and daughters.
Re: Sour smell from hive and in honey
« Reply #4 on: March 03, 2017, 06:47:21 pm »
we do have some spring goldenrod this year. have been seeing it in large patches. but we are have a  weird spring and things are blooming all at once. so the mix of nectures is giving off off oders. so should be no problem. freshly capped honey that is open has not had time to mellow out whit time. wait till you can have a wisteria flow the fragence is so out of this world and taste is great. just hard to get a single source flow of it. had it only once last spring.

john in middle ga.

Offline Acebird

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 8110
  • Gender: Male
  • Just do it
Re: Sour smell from hive and in honey
« Reply #5 on: March 03, 2017, 09:09:48 pm »
Wisteria?  It doesn't flower much up here but once it has a foot hold I don't think roundup will kill it.
Brian Cardinal
Just do it

Offline TwT

  • Senior Forum
  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 3396
  • Ted
Re: Sour smell from hive and in honey
« Reply #6 on: March 10, 2017, 08:24:09 pm »
I would say golden rod honey, when the are collecting it, it smells like athletic socks!!! It's a strong tasting honey, kinda sour.
THAT's ME TO THE LEFT JUST 5 MONTHS FROM NOW!!!!!!!!

Never be afraid to try something new.
Amateurs built the ark,
Professionals built the Titanic

Offline sc-bee

  • Super Bee
  • *****
  • Posts: 2985
Re: Sour smell from hive and in honey
« Reply #7 on: March 12, 2017, 01:20:23 am »
TwT

Dang... look what the cat drug up  :shocked:  :wink:
« Last Edit: March 12, 2017, 03:06:46 am by sc-bee »
John 3:16

Offline Dallasbeek

  • Super Bee
  • *****
  • Posts: 2526
  • Gender: Male
Re: Sour smell from hive and in honey
« Reply #8 on: March 12, 2017, 03:48:05 am »
It has been a while.  Where have you been, TwT?  Well, I hope.
"Liberty lives in the hearts of men and women; when it dies there, no constitution, no laws, no court can save it." - Judge Learned Hand, 1944

Offline TwT

  • Senior Forum
  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 3396
  • Ted
Re: Sour smell from hive and in honey
« Reply #9 on: March 14, 2017, 02:07:32 am »
Yeah, just trying to get everything straight, rebuilding my home from the flood, lost 13 hives in the flood, got 1 left, fixing to split the mess out of it, it been a hand full.
THAT's ME TO THE LEFT JUST 5 MONTHS FROM NOW!!!!!!!!

Never be afraid to try something new.
Amateurs built the ark,
Professionals built the Titanic

Offline BeeMaster2

  • Administrator
  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 13494
  • Gender: Male
Re: Sour smell from hive and in honey
« Reply #10 on: March 14, 2017, 01:05:52 pm »
Welcome back TW.
It has been 13 years now, Are you starting to look like your Avatar?  :cheesy:
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline TwT

  • Senior Forum
  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 3396
  • Ted
Re: Sour smell from hive and in honey
« Reply #11 on: March 16, 2017, 01:27:30 am »
Lol, yeah need to update that quote!!
THAT's ME TO THE LEFT JUST 5 MONTHS FROM NOW!!!!!!!!

Never be afraid to try something new.
Amateurs built the ark,
Professionals built the Titanic