hmmm...where did they come from? Big box store? Bought on line? I've never heard of or seen such a thing.

As far as the mold, you can try wiping off as much as possible and then give them a brief dip/soak in bleach water. 1 part bleach to 10 parts water.

Sue

The bleach solution is a good idea, but for tulips I usually ignore that stuff and just go ahead and plant them anyway. If the bulbs are firm it should not do them any damage, I usually peel them of any moldy skins but it probably doesn't matter much. I think the gluey stuff is from the bulb, some kind of dried sap like you say.

I never get the glue when I store my own bulbs... probably don't have the perfectly controlled, low enough humidity to cause the sap to gum up.

Now if you're chilling them in the fridge that might be a different story, I have no idea what that stuff does under refrigeration.