Foulbrood or mold?

[Louise]

I'm cleaning a hive that died a few months ago and has been sitting untouched. We have very wet winters and the frames definitely have some green mold on top. As I scraped the bees off the screened bottom board, I got the distinct whif of foulbrood.

What is the way to test if I have no viable brood (for the matchstick test)? I've got a couple of packages coming - I hate to treat unneccesarily but I also hate to send them to their death - should I just do it as prophylaxis?

[SilverFox]

Foul brood will have sunken caps on the cell with or without a hole, dull color. capped brood is what you do the match stick test on. If in doubt contact a Bee keeper in your area or one of the clubs, I know there is a couple of BEEKS on here from that area.
The oder you smelled might have been the decaying bees corpses.
Check out this web site and see if someone on it might be able to help you.
http://www.orsba.org/

[ April 17, 2006, 05:54 PM: Message edited by: SilverFox ]

[tecumseh]

silverfox sezs:
The oder you smelled might have been the decaying bees corpses.

tecumseh adds:
that would be my guess. I really do no think there is a smell test for foulbrood (of either flavor).

[peggjam]

An active case of foulbrood (that is when there are still bees alive) will have an odor, it will be very noticable, and all the classic signs of foulbrood will be present; ie; sunken cappings, ropy brood, large patches of affected brood on mutiple frames. In your case, the bees are already dead, and any signs of foulbrood will have dried up. Chances are you have only a case of the hive dying, and the frames molding. In any case, these frames should only be used for strong hives unless you clean all the wax out of them and put in new foundation, or allow the bees to build all new cells (as in all natural comb).