Fungus on my pollen patties!!

[WhipCityBeeMan]

This is the first year I have used pollen patties.  I put them in on March 12 and the bees have really been building up well.  However today I took a look to see how the girls were doing and I noticed some green fungus around the edges of 2 of the patties.  It wasn't a lot and I was able to pick most of it out with my fingers.  How much of a problem is this and how can I remedy it?  Perhaps not enough ventilation is my guess.

Also got my first sting of 2008.  Right in the armpit!   It felt good in a weird way.  A sure sign that winter is over! 

[Cindi]

WhipCityBeeMan.  Odd, about the green mould, maybe the bees aren't eating the pollen patty.  You didn't mention if they were eating it or not.  I have never seen mould forming on pollen patties, and I would be curious too why this would be so.  Did you buy the patties or make them yourself?  Ventilation, perhaps may be the issue.  Are there slots in the front of your inner cover?  In a hive the moisture needs to escape, warm air rises and it must have an outlet.  That is one of the biggest issues in colonies, if there is no where for the moisture to escape.  Beautiful day in this great life, Cindi

[qa33010]

Like Cindi asked, are they eating them?  Have the patties been on since the 12th?  Are they still soft or are they hard?  This year I started feeding Bee Pro dry under the carport.  They went through a good ice cream bucket full before it got cold again and mold hit about five days later.  The powder, due to humidity, was hardening pretty good also.

    I have had mold problems when my patties are in more than a week.  To limit this the last two years I only kept them in for four days.  This also minimized attracting SHB to the hive.

     

[Cindi]

I don't think the question has been answered.  Why do some get that mould and others do not.  I replenished pollen patties last week.  One colony still had some pollen patty left, it had been in there for over two weeks and there was not a single bit of mould on it.  What is causing this mould?  Beautiful day in this greatest of lives.  Cindi

[WhipCityBeeMan]

The bees are indeed eating the patties. The company I bought them from told me to put three patties on at one time when the Red Maples begin to flower.  That is what I did.  Perhaps it would be better to put one on at a time then add another when the first is almost gone.  The inner cover is vented and I have had no ventilation/condensation issues in the past with this hive.  I will continue to remove any fungus I see and hope it doesn't have a negative effect on  the bees. 

[Cindi]

WhipCityBeeMan.  Don't worry about the fungus bothering the bees.  They won't eat that and will more than likely take it out of the hive, or it will drop to the bottomboard or if you are using screened bottomboards, it will fall through there.  The bees even clean the mould off of frames, you will see.  Beautiful day in this great life.  Cindi