Best use for partially-filled brood combs

[JamezF]

Having broken down the queenless hive that I united with another colony a while back, I have a number of brood combs that are partially-filled with capped honey -- perhaps up to half a frame. Any suggestions as to the best use for them? I'd feed them to a nuc, but I reckon they'd get through them so fast it may not be worth the bother (and if the queen started laying up the frame I'd not then want to remove it to replace with another partially-filled frame).

James

 

[jeff33]

You always need drawn frames. I keep mine and they're added to nucs or full hives more for laying space than feed as required.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Having broken down the queenless hive that I united with another colony a while back, I have a number of brood combs that are partially-filled with capped honey -- perhaps up to half a frame. Any suggestions as to the best use for them? I'd feed them to a nuc, but I reckon they'd get through them so fast it may not be worth the bother (and if the queen started laying up the frame I'd not then want to remove it to replace with another partially-filled frame).

James

If the queen started laying there then she needs the space?
Keep them all.Honey and pollen are really useful. I have mine in the freezer. As they are used they get a dash of Dipel and are stored in a shed

 

[Jules59]

I too have been collecting used brood frames as I've had to do some reuniting (from nuc AS) following 3 colonies failing to generate a mated new queen; the QCs all hatched but nothing useful resulted despite waiting several weeks. There was a period of poor weather around that time so maybe that was the issue.
Whilst the colonies are broodless they stuff stores into the brood frames and now seem reluctant to move the stores up into the supers following reuniting.
What do you do about the brood frames with uncapped honey - is it likely to start fermenting if stored for long periods ?

 

[JamezF]

If the queen started laying there then she needs the space?

That's a good point. Looks like I wasn't thinking very clearly at 11:30 last night If she's laying in a frame I've not long put in then clearly I have a different problem to solve.

James

 

[Erichalfbee]

ing reuniting.
What do you do about the brood frames with uncapped honey - is it likely to start fermenting if stored for long periods ?

Freezer. Too good to waste. Or spin out put in a bottle in the freezer and add to your winter syrup

 

[Finman]

Freezer. Too good to waste. Or spin out put in a bottle in the freezer and add to your winter syrup

Summer is at the beginning . Put into hives and bees fill the frames. So it goes every year.

 

[user 20297]

Spare brood frames at this time of year? You need more bees.

 

[JamezF]

Spare brood frames at this time of year? You need more bees.

I'm working on it

James

 

[deemann1]

I must say i had 300 spare drawn brood comb at the start of the season and it made this year's beekeeping alot easier on management