Mould on frames

[Johnny253]

Mould has developed on some of my frames over winter in two of my bee hives. I suspect this is due to the small colony sizes as these hives were started just prior to winter. One was in a shady position, while the other was in a sunny sheltered position which hasn't made much difference. What should I do with the mould? Clean it or let the bees deal with it? How do I prevent this from happening in the future?

[Anybrew]

I would ignore it, the Bee's will clean it up in time.

cheers
Steve

[OzBuzz]

Mould has developed on some of my frames over winter in two of my bee hives. I suspect this is due to the small colony sizes as these hives were started just prior to winter. One was in a shady position, while the other was in a sunny sheltered position which hasn't made much difference. What should I do with the mould? Clean it or let the bees deal with it? How do I prevent this from happening in the future?

As Anybrew said - the bees are the best cleaners - leave them to do it... mould normally results from poor ventilation - does your lid have vents?

[Johnny253]

My hives are fully enclosed apart from the entrance. Would putting a match under each corner of the lid to create some ventilation help? My only concern would be that it would make the hive colder. I'm guessing that this will not continue to be a problem now that the weather is warming up. Has anyone else had this problem?

[Meadlover]

I had the same problem last winter with one of my hives.
I believe it was caused by a combination of poor ventilation and a not so strong colony.

[OzBuzz]

My hives are fully enclosed apart from the entrance. Would putting a match under each corner of the lid to create some ventilation help? My only concern would be that it would make the hive colder. I'm guessing that this will not continue to be a problem now that the weather is warming up. Has anyone else had this problem?

A match under the corners will help... i wouldn't stress too much about that little amount of airflow making the hive drastically cooler - bees are amazing insects and can adapt incredibly well. I've seen large hives just hanging from a tree branch and they've survived a winter with wind blowing straight on to the cluster. Hive strength does play a large part in the ability of the hive to control temperature and humidity... i had one hive that was quite weak and a complete frame went mouldy - they've cleaned it off now.

I personally am a fan of ventilated lids - i figure that if there's too much airflow they can cover the holes up if they want...