Does thymol spoil sealed honey?

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Hackney

New Bee
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Aug 11, 2010
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Location
Hackney Marshes, East London / Lea Valley, UK
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National
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Does thymol spoil sealed honey (as opposed to unsealed)?

Why I'm asking. I’m approaching winter with double brood, by accident not policy. I’m not bothered about how much honey I get (I’ve had most of a super) so I’m leaving double brood for the winter, & maybe harvesting the upper brood box next spring after they’ve moved back down.

Mite drop is 12/day so I’m about to start apiguard. (In London’s heat island it’ll be 15C+ well into October.) Should I remove the top BB during treatment to avoid contaminating any of this year’s sealed stores that they leave me next spring?

I’ve read the apiguard faq which doesn't help.

Tim
 
Yes thymol does taint sealed honey. You should remove any supers that you want to use the honey from or which you might want to use the honey from next year.
 
Yes thymol does taint sealed honey. You should remove any supers that you want to use the honey from or which you might want to use the honey from next year.
Thanks. As I said it's the upper of 2 brood boxes so should I worry about the effect of temporarily snatching half their space? Is it worth sticking a super beneath while the upper box is off, just to give them room? Or will the colony already be shrinking for winter & needing less space? They're still very active & will be for another month judging by last year (my first).
 
I am ot the best qualified to answer... my view is that the most important thing is that you get your varroa treatment on ASAP. It just doesn't work so well once the weather cools.

Autumn thymol treatment works better when the box the bees are in is the smallest volume practicable to hold the bees. I deliberately squash mine up taking them down to single brood. I don't care if they hang outside or fill the roof. Soon they will be fewer and will cluster. Make sure you restrict the entrance and put in varroa insert when you put your Apiguard on.
 

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