Author Topic: Hive smells like old sweaty gym socks  (Read 6622 times)

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Offline Riverrat

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Hive smells like old sweaty gym socks
« on: September 26, 2014, 12:19:16 am »
Okay newbees we got one of the best golden rod blooms I have seen in years,  I gt one hive that smells terrible worse than old dirty sweaty gym socks can one of the newbees tell me whats going on. and how to fix this hive.  I dont have to worry about robbing no other bees will go around it :o
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Offline JPthebeeman

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Re: Hive smells like old sweaty gym socks
« Reply #1 on: September 26, 2014, 10:53:38 pm »
Last season we had goldenrod blooming well into November, stinks so good, love goldenrod honey!


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Offline riverbee

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Re: Hive smells like old sweaty gym socks
« Reply #2 on: September 27, 2014, 11:50:28 pm »
"stinks so good"

yep........ :D
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Offline JPthebeeman

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Re: Hive smells like old sweaty gym socks
« Reply #3 on: October 03, 2014, 12:19:20 am »



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Offline riverbee

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Re: Hive smells like old sweaty gym socks
« Reply #4 on: October 04, 2014, 12:17:16 am »
great pix jp, look at that purty blue sky and that purty goldenrod blooming!

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Offline brooksbeefarm

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Re: Hive smells like old sweaty gym socks
« Reply #5 on: October 04, 2014, 11:30:08 am »
JP, nice pictures. What's that long bladed grass mixed in with the goldenrod, Johnson grass? Jack

Offline lazy shooter

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Re: Hive smells like old sweaty gym socks
« Reply #6 on: October 04, 2014, 11:32:51 pm »
The pretty thing in that picture is the oil drilling rig in the back ground.  It makes me feel at home, and I know it is good for the local economy.

Hey, the golden rod is also pretty.

Offline Riverrat

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Re: Hive smells like old sweaty gym socks
« Reply #7 on: October 05, 2014, 09:31:59 am »
Our goldenrod bloom has been the best fullest blooms I have seen in years. 
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Offline JPthebeeman

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Re: Hive smells like old sweaty gym socks
« Reply #8 on: October 12, 2014, 08:34:00 am »
I think those tall reeds might be cat tails but honestly I wasn't paying them much mind as it was all about the goldenrod :-)

Fyi, I went back down that way a few days ago, just about in full bloom! Beautiful!

Sorry, didn't take any pics, should have!


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Offline Bakersdozen

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Re: Hive smells like old sweaty gym socks
« Reply #9 on: October 13, 2014, 09:22:38 am »
We caught a brief smell of goldenrod (dirty gym socks) while approaching my hives in the country apiary.  I don't understand why those hives are struggling with food stores.  There was goldenrod every where.  Tons of rain this year should have brought on something for those hives to work.  I am feeding, feeding, feeding to get them ready for winter.  Last year, I harvested over 6 gallons of honey from one established hive, at this location.  This year I checked on that same hive in July and there was nothing in the combs.  No food, just pollen and brood.   It wasn't just this one hive either, the others struggled to some degree as well.

Offline brooksbeefarm

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Re: Hive smells like old sweaty gym socks
« Reply #10 on: October 13, 2014, 09:42:28 am »
My girls worked the Goldenrod heavy this fall (most all gone now) and i never got that dirty sock smell? but the Aster is going crazy now and i was getting that sweet smell. It has been raining  (raining now) off and on most of last week with low temps. and the aster bloom is holding on, the weather reports are the same for most of this week with clearing this coming weekend. Hope the Aster holds on, and i also have an acre of Buckwheat in bloom. Jack