Crystalline stores

[Sadders]

16 degrees and the bees are flying so did my first quick inspection of the year.

Q+ and small patch of brood. Some sealed stores still and pollen coming in.

One or two frames has stores that have crystallised. Will the bees still use in and clear out the cells for more stores/brood, or do I have to dump these frames?

Can't remember having this problem before.

 

[Bosleeu]

When the hive gets warmer, the bees will often clear out the cells, especially if you uncap and spray the stores with warm water for them. If not you can soak the uncapped frames in a bath of water for a few hours. Works most of the time but I have to say I hate those cement-like combs and will often replace them or cut the whole lot out and restart the frame with a strip of foundation.

 

[Finman]

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Actually all honey stores in hives should be crystallized after winter. So the honey acts. Bees consume stores up to next summer. It is now long time to that.

To put old stores to circulation is one operation every year. In some time of summer I put sidemost combs in the middle or brood area and bees eate off all pollen and honey.

In douple brood hive it is easy. When you add next brood box, add store combs in the middle of box and the rest are foundations. Bees eate clean first the ready combs for laying

Douple brood is very flexible to handle all kinds of things. Brood and half is rigid system.

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[Finman]

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In douple brood system swapping the boxes put old stores into circulation. I do it when I add first super. Normally most brood frames have some stored winter food.