I opened my "strong" hive (a deep and 2 mediums) yesterday to feed the Girls, and wasn't happy to see a greenish-yellow "powder" on top --and beneath -- the inner cover, and a little on the underside of the outer cover.
Would this be mold or mildew? A result of poor ventilation? :s There're some natural slits with this hive (the upper box or 2 doesn't fit perfectly atop the one beneath it), and I figured this would give the bees some ventilation; if they didn't like it, they could propolize.
For what it was worth, I removed the covers, treated them with vinegar [and scrubbed], then dried/stored them, replacing them with "fresh" covers.
For feeding, I've used 2:1 syrup, and filled a 1-gal paint can with the stuff. The bees've taken to it pretty well this winter.
This is the 1st time in my 3 winters of keeping that I've seen this situation.
Any ideas/anecdotes/stories re: the condition would be appreciated .......
Would this be mold or mildew? A result of poor ventilation? :s There're some natural slits with this hive (the upper box or 2 doesn't fit perfectly atop the one beneath it), and I figured this would give the bees some ventilation; if they didn't like it, they could propolize.
For what it was worth, I removed the covers, treated them with vinegar [and scrubbed], then dried/stored them, replacing them with "fresh" covers.
For feeding, I've used 2:1 syrup, and filled a 1-gal paint can with the stuff. The bees've taken to it pretty well this winter.
This is the 1st time in my 3 winters of keeping that I've seen this situation.
Any ideas/anecdotes/stories re: the condition would be appreciated .......