Bees cleaning frames

[Do224]

I put a couple of brood frames above the crown board (leaving small access hole) on one of my colonies yesterday. They’ve cleaned the capped honey from the top of the frames as I’d hoped but there is also quite a bit of pollen in the centre of the frame…will they clean this out too or not? They don’t seem too interested in it at present…

 

[Ian123]

No…..

 

[Erichalfbee]

 

[enrico]

Just leave it in there, over the winter it will dry out and fall out( the pollen in the frames I mean)

 

[pargyle]

No the bees won't move pollen about but when the frames are stored over winter the pollen mites will get at it and reduce it to dust. A sharp tap in the frame will usually shake the dust out...or a vacuum cleaner will suck it out... although it's nothing to worry about and anything left then the bees will clean it up.

 

[Do224]

No the bees won't move pollen about but when the frames are stored over winter the pollen mites will get at it and reduce it to dust. A sharp tap in the frame will usually shake the dust out...or a vacuum cleaner will suck it out... although it's nothing to worry about and anything left then the bees will clean it up.

I was going to remove the frames in the next day or two and freeze them to avoid wax moth. Will it be ok to do this if pollen still in cells?

 

[pargyle]

Yes. ... but you really need to deep freeze them down well below minus 5 degrees C for at least 48 hours as wax moth eggs are capable of surviving freezing.. I prefer sulphur burning and/or Dipel to be certain of killing any stages of wax moth...