Feeders full of honeycomb: leave it be?

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manek

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I went to tuck them up for winter today, hoping to take off those two-pot, full-frame feeders and put fondant and insulation on. But the feeders - those green plastic ones - were almost welded to the brood box by comb full of honey. And of course they were also full of bees.

So I left them to it, putting insulation on the top of the feeders. Probably not the right thing to do, but how to deal with lots of excess untidy (to me!) comb loaded with honey and defensive bees? Especially those bits wedged into the feeder pots?
 
Whoops, so when and how do you consider dealing with them..... Just out of interest!
At some point a bee escape board needs putting between them, there must be no queen or brood in the feeder. Or you will just have to be brave and take it all to bits as best you can!
E
 
Good question! I'm in the frame of mind to leave them to it right now. I don't want to disturb them more than necessary, and it's food they wouldn't otherwise have if I tidy it up.

So maybe I should deal with it in the spring?
 
Good question! I'm in the frame of mind to leave them to it right now. I don't want to disturb them more than necessary, and it's food they wouldn't otherwise have if I tidy it up.

So maybe I should deal with it in the spring?

Leave it till spring and then sort it ... you can't leave empty space around with bees that are looking to store anything ... they empty feeders so fast at times you really need to look in daily ... lesson learned ?
 
Yup, the lesson I took away was to whip the feeders off sharpish once empty. More fool me. Hopefully, they'll have emptied the comb come the spring.
 
My landlord has a similar problem but with an eke of wild comb between brood and super (don't ask)
More trouble than it's worth this late in the season.
 

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