Extracting OSR honey

[thorn]

One of my apiaries had a field of OSR not far away. The honey has set in the frames. How should I deal with it? Is there a way to extract it, or should I junk it?

 

[Erichalfbee]

The bees will eat it. Keep it for them.

 

[mbc]

One of my apiaries had a field of OSR not far away. The honey has set in the frames. How should I deal with it? Is there a way to extract it, or should I junk it?

It can be scraped down to the midrib and melted out but it won't be best quality

 

[Wilco]

Use it to feed them this year.

Next year harvest and spin it early, potentially before it's capped, but make sure you check the water content (shake test is roughly indicative if no refractometer) and if needed dehydrate to appropriate level in a warming cabinet (or oven at 35C if you're desperate). Once harvested, leave it at least a few weeks to set. Then warm to 35C before creaming it. Only then consider jarring it! It's a right faff.

 

[hemo]

Give it as winter feed and replace some better extractable brood stores.

 

[Cole lynch]

Can the frames be sat in warm water to soften & dissolve it & then spun leaving the frames to be used for summer flow?

 

[Wilco]

Can the frames be sat in warm water to soften & dissolve it & then spun leaving the frames to be used for summer flow?

If warming just use a warming cabinet so no risk of contamination if any of the cappings are damaged. Is still quite thick if warmed to 39C once set, so not convinced it'll spin out but there's a chance.

Edit- misunderstood the aim. See the next post also about risk of spinning warm wax.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Don’t spin a warm frame. You’ll trash it.

 

[Ian123]

Can the frames be sat in warm water to soften & dissolve it & then spun leaving the frames to be used for summer flow?

Believe it or not the kiwis used to wash out frames of Manuka

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes till somebody came up with the PR of the century

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Let's not mention he was Welsh

 

[Finman]

The honey has set in the frames. How should I deal with it? Is there a way to extract it, or should I junk it?

SECOND WAY

If/ when you do artificial swarm and you have a laying queen, put into the swarm hive one brood frame, 3 crystallized honey frames and the rest foundations .
After a week honey frames are cleaned and filled with larvae.

And now you have saved 5 frames and most honey too.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Let's not mention he was Welsh

Who?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Who?

Peter Molan The 'discoverer' of Manooky's magical properties and the one who dreamt up the UMF nonsense

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Roche gifted me a book all about Manuka and its history a few years ago - very interesting aactually - and not once in the whole book did it say that eating the stuff gave any health benefits, it was all about topical treatment

 

[Wilco]

Roche gifted me a book all about Manuka and its history a few years ago - very interesting aactually - and not once in the whole book did it say that eating the stuff gave any health benefits, it was all about topical treatment

Bit like heather honey... For wounds it's better than manuka. We're sitting on a goldmine.

 

[pargyle]

Bit like heather honey... For wounds it's better than manuka. We're sitting on a goldmine.

Somebosdy just mention a goldmine ... ? Who, what, where and why wasn't I told ?

 

[Tigger]

SECOND WAY

If/ when you do artificial swarm and you have a laying queen, put into the swarm hive one brood frame, 3 crystallized honey frames and the rest foundations .
After a week honey frames are cleaned and filled with larvae.

Thank you Finman,
Apart from when doing artificial swarm, what other way can I feed them to my colonies that they will use up the honey that is set in the frames?