Cleaning out extracted supers

[SunnyRaes]

We've had problems in the past getting the bees to clean out the extracted supers or taking down unextracted honey.

We have always put the supers / unextracted comb above a reduced crown board, however whilst the bees do go up, they don't seem interested in taking that honey down.

Any suggestions as to improvements or more reliable methods? I'm not a fan of storing wet supers, and we don't have the freezer space to store unextracted comb.

 

[VEG]

Can I ask what problems you have had storing them wet?
I always store mine wet and have had no problems doing it this way, it also gets the bees into the supers quicker when putting them back on in the spring

 

[SunnyRaes]

I guess I don't have any problems storing them wet - we did last year. I guess I was more worried that they'd go bad, mouldy, whatever, which to be fair they didn't particularly

 

[Erichalfbee]

There you are then. Store them wet. I always have and as Veg says there's never any problem getting the bees up there in the Spring.

The only thing I would say is that I have poly and wooden hives and my wet frames will be in wooden supers,not poly. Too easy for mice to chew into.

 

[SunnyRaes]

OK, lets back up a bit...

We have 2 hives which have little to no stores in the brood box. Most of the stores are upstairs - either in a super, or in their old brood box after a comb change.

We want them to take the stores downstairs. It's not for lack of room downstairs - in both cases, there are many undrawn frames. However we need to take the top boxes off for treatment.

In one case, we DID score the comb and put above a reduced crown board, but they've simply recapped the comb! This was a brood box, and I don't really want a full brood box of capped honey in dirty comb!

So, any suggestions?

 

[sandysman]

How about taking them off, treat and then put them back but under brood box without q/x and then swap them round again in the spring.
I am sure that someone will be along shortly to say otherwise.
Andy

 

[itma]

OK, lets back up a bit...

We have 2 hives which have little to no stores in the brood box. Most of the stores are upstairs - either in a super, or in their old brood box after a comb change.

We want them to take the stores downstairs. It's not for lack of room downstairs - in both cases, there are many undrawn frames. However we need to take the top boxes off for treatment.

In one case, we DID score the comb and put above a reduced crown board, but they've simply recapped the comb! This was a brood box, and I don't really want a full brood box of capped honey in dirty comb!

So, any suggestions?

Back up a bit further.
Undrawn frames are not "room".
At this time of the year they are closer to the 'liability' column than the 'asset' column.

You say "after a comb change". I'd say if there are still "many undrawn frames" then the comb change is far from complete.

I'm not clear what you are trying to achieve.
If it was simply trying to move stores from an old brood frame to a brand new (undrawn) brood frame, I'd suggest that you forget that until next year. Remove the old frames when they are empty, in Spring.
The alternative would be to now put the box you want emptied UNDER the brood. And if you want comb drawn now, insulation would be a very good idea. And careful shuffling of the new frames - one between brood and stores for the best chance of getting it drawn. If the colony was strong (doesn't sound like it) you could instead try ITLD's trick of putting one frame of foundation in the middle of the brood. Don't unless the colony is properly strong.

Or are you hoping to get the bees to move extra crop honey into supers so you can extract it?

What is this about taking the top boxes (old brood boxes?) off for "treatment"? What treatment? Are you worried about tainting crop honey with Apiguard? (Otherwise, shouldn't be a problem.) MAQS doesn't taint honey, so you could perhaps explore that option, if that were the case.

 

[itma]

...
I am sure that someone will be along shortly to say otherwise.
Andy

Or cross-post the same idea!

 

[Arfermo]

Storing supers wet is supposed to be a good deterrent for wax moths. Never had 'em so no experience of same. I store wet in garage with 5 ply boards top and bottom stacks and if the garage freezes so much the better.

 

[sandysman]

Or cross-post the same idea!

Great minds..... Whoops