Excess stores

[Dusty Rhodes]

At this time of the year I find myself removing frames of unused winter stores.
As they are usually the result of autumn feeding, I can't extract the 'honey'
- and anyway I use 14 x 12s, which won't fit my extractor.

I hate to chuck it all away - so I end up storing the fuller frames for the following autumn.
But by now I've got more than I can use.

Any thoughts, chaps and chapesses?

Dusty

 

[Zante]

You could make nucs with a couple of frames of brood/bees and the rest of these stores, and sell them once they have a laying queen.

... or is it a bit late for that?


Alternatively you can use these frames instead of feeding at all this coming autumn.

How about extracting it by crush and strain, and feeding it back to the bees in autumn. That would give you wax to use or exchange for foundation.

 

[Erichalfbee]

At this time of the year I find myself removing frames of unused winter stores.
As they are usually the result of autumn feeding, I can't extract the 'honey'
- and anyway I use 14 x 12s, which won't fit my extractor.

I hate to chuck it all away - so I end up storing the fuller frames for the following autumn.
But by now I've got more than I can use.

Any thoughts, chaps and chapesses?

Dusty

Me too.I have a freezer full...but luckily my Giordan 8 frame takes two 14x12 frames tangentially. So sorry Dusty....no help. Buy a bigger freezer/extractor? Would your existing spinner take screens? Can you bodge some out of a cake cooling rack perhaps?

 

[beeno]

I bit late now but don't overfeed next autumn.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I bit late now but don't overfeed next autumn.

I have three hives that didn't get any syrup. I have pulled two frames of ivy stores out of each

 

[wightbees]

Scrap the cappings off and put next to the brood, they clear it out, is a option?

 

[Ely]

If it is honey. Cut up the honey comb and make mead.
Dissolve out the honey in warm water.

If it is for personal use i doubt it will matter much if there is a little syrup in there

 

[Erichalfbee]

Scrap the cappings off and put next to the brood, they clear it out, is a option?

Beware.
Dusty reckons the frames are syrup.
If you scrape be mindful where the bees might move those stores to

 

[Bearhouse]

Aside from being aware of the weight of the hive over winter and knowing whether or not they have used up the stores, is there any other way of ascertaining that it is stored syrup rather than spring honey?

 

[sherwood]

At this time of the year I find myself removing frames of unused winter stores.
As they are usually the result of autumn feeding, I can't extract the 'honey'
- and anyway I use 14 x 12s, which won't fit my extractor.

I hate to chuck it all away - so I end up storing the fuller frames for the following autumn.
But by now I've got more than I can use.

Any thoughts, chaps and chapesses?

Dusty

I have on occasion had the same problem if any of the previously offered solutions are impractical here is another solution. I use a nuke box with an openmesh floor I place this on a slight cant place the inspection board in not all the wayleaving a slight gap raise the whole system slightly so I am able to put a collection container below then insert the nozzle of the steam wall paper stripper into the hive entrance. Result runny syrup with clean wax floating on top

 

[Erichalfbee]

Aside from being aware of the weight of the hive over winter and knowing whether or not they have used up the stores, is there any other way of ascertaining that it is stored syrup rather than spring honey?

Syrup cappings are usually dark and sunken looking( i.e. No air pocket underneath). Fresh stores have light coloured fresh cappings......... usually but not invariably. Also if you have added thymol then that is a give away. Once it is uncapped and transferred into the supers you have no chance! Unless you've added food colouring

 

[Tom Bick]

Remove the honey supers earlier than than you would normally do, allowing the bees to backfill the BB with honey and then stop or greatly reduce your feeding. With 14x12 you could easily stop feeding altogether.

There you go two problems solved for the price of one

 

[pargyle]

Remove the honey supers earlier than than you would normally do, allowing the bees to backfill the BB with honey and then stop or greatly reduce your feeding. With 14x12 you could easily stop feeding altogether.

There you go two problems solved for the price of one

Yes ... I think with insulation, mild winters, frugal bees and a good performance from the ivy last autumn there are a few of us in the same situation as Dusty. I fed my bees very little in autumn and still have ended up with a couple of frames of stores in the brood box in all the hives. It's a really difficult call - you don't want them to starve, the ivy is unpredictable in both quality of forage and when it appears and although I aim for a well filled 14 x 12 as a good starting point for winter - at times it's too much stores - and in other years they need every bit of it.

I keep the surplus frames in an empty brood box sealed top and bottom and I give it a belt of Certan in case there is wax moth in or around. They store well but I'm in the same boat where I now have about as much as I need .. not easy to spin out although my extractor will take two 14 x 12's and I can't be sure there is not some syrup in there anyway ...

Rather hope that I might pick up a swarm or two (just don't let 'er indoors know !) and a few of the frames would help them out ... perhaps the rest will go back to the bees come next autumn ...

Not sure I have any better ideas ... except - get more bees and try and judge it better at the end of summer ...

 

[SDM]

Aside from being aware of the weight of the hive over winter and knowing whether or not they have used up the stores, is there any other way of ascertaining that it is stored syrup rather than spring honey?

Add food due to your autumn feed. Easy to see where it ends up then.

 

[pargyle]

Add food due to your autumn feed. Easy to see where it ends up then.

Food dye ?

 

[Michael Palmer]

If you scrape the cappings and put the box on the bottom board, the bees will remove the honey. Then remove the super and place it back on top as a honey super. I have lots like that every spring.

 

[Tonyatcwfarm]

I wouldn't be worried if it was just a few frames of ivy homey left over from last winter
I have 5 full supers and a brood box full of frames packed with ivy honey in the shed
All from 7 full colonies and I never fed last year
My 7 colonies this year are on brood and half with the half underneath as they are still 3/4 full of winter stores still

 

[REDWOOD]

Similar situation but there are ways around it, if you have strong colonies then double brood with a mixture of foundation and last years winter stores, Bees will use the stores for wax making and when it's all used up you can fit a QE until all the brood has hatched then remove the BB. There will be some fresh honey in them but when you move them back down they will soon clean them up if it's not sealed and if it is bruise the honey. Another way is to uncap and soak in warm water until the honey liquefies and wash it out with a hosepipe. If you manage it properly the will be little need to feed nucs, swarms or foundation building


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[Bearhouse]

Syrup cappings are usually dark and sunken looking( i.e. No air pocket underneath). Fresh stores have light coloured fresh cappings......... usually but not invariably. Also if you have added thymol then that is a give away. Once it is uncapped and transferred into the supers you have no chance! Unless you've added food colouring

That's useful to know, thank you.

 

[Hans wilson]

Yes, very usefull, great information