Welcome, Guest

Author Topic: Freezing Frames  (Read 2280 times)

Offline josbees

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 120
  • Gender: Female
Freezing Frames
« on: March 07, 2009, 05:01:28 pm »
So it's lovely here today finally.  Temps in the mid 60s.  Went out to the yard to check my one surviving hive, which I was pretty sure was no longer a survivor.  I was right.  Opened her up to find no activity.  When I checked before winter there was a healthy population of bees.  The dead that  are in there now shows a really dramatic decrease in numbers. 

Plus, the top box is 80% full of honey.  The bottom box had honey in the top thirds of most of the frames.  I'm guessing there was a swarm, leaving depleted numbers of residents.  And I think perhaps a minor wax moth infestation (couple of the frames had telltale holes, though no larvae visible).  Took everything apart and brushed off the dead.  Funny thing though:  in the midst of this, one solitary little worker flew out of the bottom box and buzzed around my head checking me out.  Poor girl -- no-one to play with.  I'm amazed she survived all on her own.

Anyway, I've ordered a NUC which I'll pick up early May.  Till then I want to save these frames.  Unfortunately my freezer has people food in it (I know, silly me).  I would be able to freeze maybe three frames at a time.  Should I go ahead and freeze them in lots of two or three for a few days and then bag them up tightly until I can put them back out with the new bees?  Will the honey and pollen be okay after freezing and sitting in a plastic bag for the best part of two months?

Thanks, as always!

Offline JP

  • The Swarm King
  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 11709
  • Gender: Male
  • I like doing cut-outs, but I love catching swarms!
    • JPthebeeman.com
Re: Freezing Frames
« Reply #1 on: March 07, 2009, 05:27:18 pm »
Yes you can freeze it, pollen and all. Seal very tightly afterwards as wax moths are masters at getting in.

You could also check this product out, it does a real good job at keeping wax moths away. http://www.beeworks.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=18


...JP
My Youtube page is titled JPthebeeman with hundreds of educational & entertaining videos.

My website JPthebeeman.com http://jpthebeeman.com

Offline josbees

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 120
  • Gender: Female
Re: Freezing Frames
« Reply #2 on: March 07, 2009, 05:41:29 pm »
Thanks JP.

An aside -- Where the **** do wax moths come from anyway?  Are they just lurking in the shadows waiting for a hive to startup?  Do they send out scouts from moth central who then telegraph back the site of a new hive?  What do they do when there are no bees around?  Fly south for the winter???

Buggers.

Offline JP

  • The Swarm King
  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 11709
  • Gender: Male
  • I like doing cut-outs, but I love catching swarms!
    • JPthebeeman.com
Re: Freezing Frames
« Reply #3 on: March 07, 2009, 05:49:30 pm »
Thanks JP.

An aside -- Where the **** do wax moths come from anyway?  Are they just lurking in the shadows waiting for a hive to startup?  Do they send out scouts from moth central who then telegraph back the site of a new hive?  What do they do when there are no bees around?  Fly south for the winter???

Buggers.

Lurking in the shadows is about right, that's what moths do. I'm no expert on them by any means but they are experts at finding honeybee colonies and will take any opportunity given them to start laying eggs in a colony.


...JP
My Youtube page is titled JPthebeeman with hundreds of educational & entertaining videos.

My website JPthebeeman.com http://jpthebeeman.com

Offline superhoney

  • New Bee
  • *
  • Posts: 48
  • Gender: Male
  • Golly I love this hobby
    • 12 Miles To Utopia
Re: Freezing Frames
« Reply #4 on: March 08, 2009, 04:35:11 am »
Here is a website that has some quick info, and a trap you can make to get them before they go to your hive. This is my first year and I'll be setting that trap for the moths to try and help in the battle.
Here it is: http://www.texasdrone.com/Beekeeping/wax_moths.htm

Take care!
Superhoney

Offline josbees

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 120
  • Gender: Female
Re: Freezing Frames
« Reply #5 on: March 08, 2009, 11:45:12 am »
So this is my "Duh" followup to the above:  When I install my NUC, which frames should I have waiting for them in the bottom deep?  The NUC is gonna be five, so I need five already in there.  The frames from the old bottom box with about 1/3 honey, or fully honeyed frames from the top box?

 

anything