Yeast smell

**Katharina** · 08-25-2011, 10:09 AM

My strongest hive started with some yeast smell yesterday. Today I did an inspection and everything looks good. No mites, no beetles, no moths, and no other maladies so far. The hive was installed beginning May this year. I saw eggs, capped brood, lots of pollen, and capped honey. Very good pattern, very few drone cells. Lots of bees. I use a screened button board, which is kept open for ventilation. The super has a 3/4" hole and the inner cover also has an opening. I think the yeast smell is in the pollen. Do I need to worry?

**Ron Mann** · 08-25-2011, 11:32 AM

Could it have something to do with the bloom that they are currently working?

I know when mine start working golden rod, the hives have a "different" odor about them.

**stripstrike** · 08-25-2011, 11:33 AM

If I had to guess I'd say it's the smell of goldenrod nectar ripening. Some people say it smells like dirty socks, but yeasty might describe it also. If there's no foul brood visible I'd point the finger at goldenrod.

**Katharina** · 08-25-2011, 12:05 PM

No foulbrood. The frames look perfect with a very good laying pattern and perfect cappings. I did smell along the frames and it does come from the pollen. I did a few google searches and dug in my books. All point to pollen being converted into bee bread, and they also point out the certain pollens. I do not have goldenrod near me, but they can fly out into areas where some may be growing. It also could be some other wild plants out here. The pollen is a nice dark orange color.

**Michael Bush** · 08-25-2011, 07:03 PM

A little "bread raising" smell in a hive is just the pollen fermenting into bee bread (that's probably where it got the name...). An orange smell mixed with a fermentation smell (more alcohol and less yeast smell to it) would probably indicate SHB.