Dealing with Set Honey in the Combs

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Midland Beek

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Cutting out combs containing set honey and sticking them in the bin is one way, and this appeals to me because I only really have interest in handling bees and not with messing around with honey.

But are there any other options? Especially ones that do not involve the beekeeper standing in his or her kitchen with a scraping device for two weeks.
 
Swienty Apimelter or equivalent. Works a treat. Unfortunately price tag around £2k from memory. Or do they now do a smaller one?
 
Cutting out combs containing set honey and sticking them in the bin is one way, and this appeals to me because I only really have interest in handling bees and not with messing around with honey..

Give it back to your bees, by all means, if that is your feeling on the matter, but sticking it in the bin is akin to your niegbour putting out imported supermarket honey for your bees, and those of other, to forage. Which would understandably not make you too happy if you knew it.was happening :)
 
Cutting out combs containing set honey and sticking them in the bin is one way, and this appeals to me because I only really have interest in handling bees and not with messing around with honey.

But are there any other options? Especially ones that do not involve the beekeeper standing in his or her kitchen with a scraping device for two weeks.

How many supers full have you got?
 
If from a disease free colony, it goes back in somewhere, sometime. It may take a little time to be used or moved but it goes eventually. I always try to keep a couple frames handy for making up nucs, so they sometimes go solid and need using up when a nuc is really starting to move, not as their store when started. Sometimes if they are going well I exchange a frame of liquid honey with a hard one and use the more useful one elsewhere. But it all gets used. A 14 x 12 full is worth a bag or three of sugar, after all.

Regards, RAB
 
Cut it out, mash it up,


Make MEAD!!!!!!!

LOL...... hic....

PH
 
If you've got a lot there is a service advertised somewhere (the net or beecraft, or similar) where they charge you to deal with them. Not sure of the charges or even if is a bit of a scam (they certainly return cleaned frames ready for foundation or with foundation fitted) where they charge and keep the goodies, or most of it. Never looked closely as I would not be interested.

Regards, RAB
 
Um........let the bees have it?!

Seems a no brainer to me.
If they don't clear it by spring, you can scrape it back to the midrib to get rid of any crystals which would possibly seed next years blossom.
But for the sake of keeping fit and healthy bees through the winter, keep it for them.
 
This extraction business is making me quite depressed. I am limited when it comes to the removal of supers because I do not have a vehicle. Waited until late summer to remove supers as in previous seasons, but this year I have ended up with six MD supers all crystallised or too gloopy to spin.

Borrowed an extractor. Scraped and spun three of my supers - wrecked the combs. Three full supers are left staring at me.

Thanks for the helpful ideas. In respect of Chris B's comments about the Swienty Apimelter, I am sure I could do something with this flash fan oven I have recently bought. But what that is I don't know yet.
 
If you are ever passing Huntingdon drop them off with a empty bucket or 2and pick them up a day or two later i'll put them through the Api Melter for a beer:willy_nilly:

C B
 

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