Capped honey from ruined SHB hive

[omnimirage]

Awhile ago one of my hives was entirely decimated by Small Hive Beetle. I went through the hive, extracting all the clean looking *sealed* comb, and discarded everything else. Some maggots got in the bucket, I didn't realise SHB had killed them at the time.

Now I've got this bucket with a good 15-20 kilos of honey in it, and I'm unsure what to do. I read that the honey extracted from such hives isn't any good due to fementing. Does this mean I need to discard the honey? If so, how would I actually discard it? Can I somehow assess the honey to see whether it's actually spoiled or not? I was careful to only get the clean parts. If it is "spoiled", can I use it for mead?

I'm also super duper concerned about bringing SHB to my home where I extract. SHB has been spreading from the east, and the hive that was infested is a good 110 kilometers away from my home: from what I've gathered, SHB hasn't hit the suburbs yet (where I live), and I'd hate to change that. Do I need to be careful when opening these buckets? Are there any precautions I should take? I'm not sure if those maggots will simply die in their with enough time.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Awhile ago one of my hives was entirely decimated by Small Hive Beetle. I went through the hive, extracting all the clean looking *sealed* comb, and discarded everything else. Some maggots got in the bucket, I didn't realise SHB had killed them at the time.

Now I've got this bucket with a good 15-20 kilos of honey in it, and I'm unsure what to do. I read that the honey extracted from such hives isn't any good due to fementing. Does this mean I need to discard the honey? If so, how would I actually discard it? Can I somehow assess the honey to see whether it's actually spoiled or not? I was careful to only get the clean parts. If it is "spoiled", can I use it for mead?

I'm also super duper concerned about bringing SHB to my home where I extract. SHB has been spreading from the east, and the hive that was infested is a good 110 kilometers away from my home: from what I've gathered, SHB hasn't hit the suburbs yet (where I live), and I'd hate to change that. Do I need to be careful when opening these buckets? Are there any precautions I should take? I'm not sure if those maggots will simply die in their with enough time.

You do seem to be having a problem with honey hygeine, from mouse droppings and now shb larvae contaminated buckets. I would have suggested you undergo some food hygeine training but just remembered you're in Oz so maybe things are different over there.

 

[alldigging]

https://rirdc.infoservices.com.au/items/14-098

Free book to download


This book provides basic information to assist beginner and sideline beekeepers. It draws on the knowledge and experience of apiculture scientists, various state and territory apiary inspectors and apiary officers, and most importantly, the many beekeepers who enjoy keeping bees.

May have some advice about SHB.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

You do seem to be having a problem with honey hygeine, from mouse droppings and now shb larvae contaminated buckets. I would have suggested you undergo some food hygeine training but just remembered you're in Oz so maybe things are different over there.

Constantly stumbling from one disaster into a crisis.
If I were you, destroy the lot and concentrate on keeping healthy colonies on decent kit. Rather than (it seems to me) collecting rubbish from all and sundry

 

[yantabulla]

Possibly Australia's worst beekeeper.

 

[BeeJayBee]

I'm also super duper concerned about bringing SHB to my home where I extract. SHB has been spreading from the east, and the hive that was infested is a good 110 kilometers away from my home: from what I've gathered, SHB hasn't hit the suburbs yet (where I live), and I'd hate to change that. Do I need to be careful when opening these buckets? Are there any precautions I should take? I'm not sure if those maggots will simply die in their with enough time.

You've carried honey +SHB larvae from an area with SHB to an area that doesn't yet have SHB, and want some advice about what to do next from people on a UK-based internet forum, where we don't yet have SHB?

Please don't bring buckets of your honey to Britain - we don't want it, not with mouse droppings in it and not with SHB larvae in it either.

Maybe you should ask some local beekeepers what to do, and while you're at it get in some training about keeping bees, as well as food and apiary hygiene.

 

[wessexmario]

Awhile ago one of my hives was entirely decimated by Small Hive Beetle. I went through the hive, extracting all the clean looking *sealed* comb, and discarded everything else. Some maggots got in the bucket, I didn't realise SHB had killed them at the time.

Now I've got this bucket with a good 15-20 kilos of honey in it, and I'm unsure what to do. I read that the honey extracted from such hives isn't any good due to fementing. Does this mean I need to discard the honey? If so, how would I actually discard it? Can I somehow assess the honey to see whether it's actually spoiled or not? I was careful to only get the clean parts. If it is "spoiled", can I use it for mead?

I'm also super duper concerned about bringing SHB to my home where I extract. SHB has been spreading from the east, and the hive that was infested is a good 110 kilometers away from my home: from what I've gathered, SHB hasn't hit the suburbs yet (where I live), and I'd hate to change that. Do I need to be careful when opening these buckets? Are there any precautions I should take? I'm not sure if those maggots will simply die in their with enough time.

You do need to learn and practice some rigorous contamination control and food handling methods.

In your situation you are a prime risk for helping SHB move west.
To minimise that, consider doing your extracting at the remote site, and only bring clean honey in sealed containers across the disease boundary.
You should also be doing contamination control of any equipment you move between sites, otherwise it will be a matter of when not if you bring SHB to your locality.

You ought to be getting local advice and help, your local authorities and beekeeping clubs will know the risks and counter measures you should be taking in your environment / country.
Don't be afraid of getting into trouble by asking for help - if you ask for help their priority will be to help you get it right.
It will be no comparison to the trouble you might get into if you cause the spread of disease, or sickness of people eating your honey, because you're not complying with your local legislation or best practice for bio-security and food handling.

 

[wessexmario]

Do I need to be careful when opening these buckets? Are there any precautions I should take? I'm not sure if those maggots will simply die in their with enough time.

Don't open the buckets - No, don't even peek. keep them sealed closed. To ensure that every maggot or adult beetle is killed, place the buckets in a deep freeze for at least 48 hours. Then you'll have dealt with the SHB risk.

As far as using the honey for any food purpose, with the risk of uncontrolled fermentation I wouldn't, but if you want to feed it back to the bees, then only do it in the apiary where it came from.

A study of the SHB outbreak in Italy has shown that in areas where beekeepers have multiple apiaries, SHB spread is 10 times faster.
Do try to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.

 

[chrisb]

for the sake of a bucket I would have left it were it was but in the middle of a pit fire

 

[misterbee82]

I recently advised you to give the mouse poop honey back to your bees, but the SHB honey is a complete loss as it can not be fed back to the bees and it is wasted for human consumption. I don't know why you're having this many issues with pests. You need to go to the source of the problem and find out how you're getting these pests and eliminate them.

 

[Finman]

I recently advised you to give the mouse poop honey back to your bees, but the SHB honey is a complete loss as it can not be fed back to the bees and it is wasted for human consumption. I don't know why you're having this many issues with pests. You need to go to the source of the problem and find out how you're getting these pests and eliminate them.

Biggest loss is when you do not extract your yield or you use foundationless combs.

But then you feed carbage back to bees. Then it is value of sugar £ 0.4/kg as beefood.
And then you feed special sugar to bees as emergency feeding £4/kg. Energy value is exactly the same 0.4 £.



Halleluja! Even if you are a beekeeper, do not give up using your brains,


..

.

 

[wessexmario]

I recently advised you to give the mouse poop honey back to your bees ...

Can you tell us how honey possibly contaminated with Weil's disease [a bacteria] is safe to return to a hive from which honey for human consumption will be extracted?

... but the SHB honey is a complete loss as it can not be fed back to the bees

Given that there's no other problem with this batch of honey, after freezing to kill all SHB, why in your opinion can it then not be fed back to the bees in the same apiary?

.

 

[misterbee82]

I will have to research Weil's disease, all I am familiar with is the hantavirus. If I made a wrong recommendation feel free to correct me. Sorry for any misguided advice.

 

[misterbee82]

Okay so Weil's disease is like the hantavirus on steroids, I retract my prior statements as I needed some much needed advice to do further research. Based on my findings I recommend the mice poop honey, and SHB honey both be disposed of properly. Then reevaluate your hive/hives and see if there are in fact additional issues the need to addressed.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Okay so Weil's disease is like the hantavirus on steroids, I retract my prior statements as I needed some much needed advice to do further research. Based on my findings I recommend the mice poop honey, and SHB honey both be disposed of properly. Then reevaluate your hive/hives and see if there are in fact additional issues the need to addressed.

I'm sure we can all now rest easy after receiving your measured and qualified advice

 

[omnimirage]

There sure is a lot of passionate, almost hostile banter and conflicting information being thrown around here.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

There sure is a lot of passionate, almost hostile banter and conflicting information being thrown around here.

Hardly banter - you need to destroy your contaminated honey now.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Hardly banter - you need to destroy your contaminated honey now.

 

[BeeJayBee]

Hardly banter - you need to destroy your contaminated honey now.

+1

I still can't believe you even considered keeping and using honey that has been contaminated with mouse droppings.

 

[chrisb]

Hardly banter - you need to destroy your contaminated honey now.

time for a big fire,