My hive smells bad. What are those nasty brown streaks?by Ruhl Bee on 04/28/13
If your hive smells bad and has brown streaks on the front, the colony is probably is probably suffering from a disease called Nosema apis. This digestive tract disease is typically associated with bad weather in spring when bees are unable to fly. It can often be managed with antibiotic treatments such as Fumagilin. Alternative non-antibiotic products are available, but we have less data on their effectiveness. Examples are Nozevit, Bee Cleanse, and Honey B Healthy.