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Author Topic: Last years frames with honey on them  (Read 2496 times)

Offline Nyleve

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Last years frames with honey on them
« on: June 19, 2013, 10:56:59 am »
Quick question. I have several frames of partially-filled comb that I had kept through the winter to feed back to the bees if they needed it. I used a few, but do have about 4 or so left over. I will need them when it comes time to put a second honey super on the hive. How do I deal with the old honey comb? I'd like to get the bees to clean it out before installing, but I don't want to start a robbing frenzy or attract wasps. Any suggestions?

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Last years frames with honey on them
« Reply #1 on: June 19, 2013, 12:18:05 pm »
Why not just put them in a hive with the other frames? If you put them out for the bees to clean them out, they will just put it in the hive.
Jim
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Offline Nyleve

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Re: Last years frames with honey on them
« Reply #2 on: June 19, 2013, 01:11:09 pm »
Well the two brood boxes are doing fine and I'd prefer not to mess around if I don't have to. What if I put the honey-filled frames a distance away from the hive so that if other bees or wasps are attracted to them, it won't be right beside the hive? Last year I made the mistake of putting extracted frames near my hive and I ended up with a big waspfest. I just want them cleaned out before using them this season.

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Last years frames with honey on them
« Reply #3 on: June 19, 2013, 01:19:04 pm »
If you are going to put them out that way make sure they are about 300' away from your hive. That way when the bees are directed to it from other hives they will not end up robbing your hive. I have added them to hives on numerous occasions with no problem. You can add them to a hive above the inner cover and they will usually move it down into the hive. make sure your bees have room to place it or they will become honey bound and it can cause them to swarm. Your best bet is to put it in a super, it will also help to get them to start filling the super.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Nyleve

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Re: Last years frames with honey on them
« Reply #4 on: June 19, 2013, 03:39:35 pm »
I have just put on a honey super above a queen excluder (last week, so not very long ago). If I swap out a couple of empty frames from the honey super with these old frames, will they clean out the old honey or will they just leave it there and continue to fill the frame? Sorry for being dense, but I'm a bit new at this so I'm trying to be careful. I prefer that the honey super be filled with this years honey, not last years.

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Last years frames with honey on them
« Reply #5 on: June 19, 2013, 04:02:55 pm »
When you say "will they clean out the old honey" do you mean will they get rid of it? The answer is no. They might move but only if you were to put it above the inner cover and scratched the surface of it. If you do not want it in with your honey super (maybe it was sugar water honey) than swap it with the outer 2 frames in the brood box. Usually they are honey frames. An alternative might be to extract the honey and then put them in the hive.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Bee Busters

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Re: Last years frames with honey on them
« Reply #6 on: June 19, 2013, 04:47:02 pm »
If you put the frames out for the bees to empty/rob out, they are just going to put it right back into the hive,  Causing the bees unnecessary work, and you haven't accomplished what you wanted.  Plus you will also loose some of it to ferile bees and wasps.
If you extract it now and put those empty frames back on with your supers you will have this years honey in your supers, and then after you have extracted the new honey this year, you can feed last year's honey back to the bees as needed

Offline sc-bee

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Re: Last years frames with honey on them
« Reply #7 on: June 19, 2013, 05:02:59 pm »
If you put the frames out for the bees to empty/rob out, they are just going to put it right back into the hive,  Causing the bees unnecessary work, and you haven't accomplished what you wanted.  

If the frames are moved away from the hive to be robbed. The frames will be cleaned and any honey put back in the hive will be where the bees want it and will be new honey ..... right :-D If you have a flow going don't be surprised if they don't move it as quick as you prefer as in the time limit you need the empty frames.

 As said above. If you scratch the capping, placed above the inner cover, bees from outside can not get to it to promote robbing. The bees once again place it where they please. The best way for that single hive to benefit. For me, here in the South, that may cause an SHB problem. No SHB for you right.

Honey does not spoil as you know. Just place the frames back on the hive. The bees will fill the surrounding comb and spaces. A few combs of last years honey with this years would be no biggie to me :-D  Someone else tell me, do you really see the old honey as a problem?
« Last Edit: June 19, 2013, 05:52:34 pm by sc-bee »
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Offline sc-bee

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Re: Last years frames with honey on them
« Reply #8 on: June 19, 2013, 05:05:33 pm »
deleted double post
John 3:16

Offline iddee

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Re: Last years frames with honey on them
« Reply #9 on: June 19, 2013, 06:52:33 pm »
Last years honey is just as good as this years. Honey doesn't get old. Save them until next year and they will still be just as good as next years honey.
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

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Offline Finski

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Re: Last years frames with honey on them
« Reply #10 on: June 20, 2013, 02:28:11 am »
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I have told here several methods how to get old honey off from combs

http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,39436.0.html
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