Honey bees around old frames and comb

[Busybee1]

I lost my first colony early this year, I've been organising a few old frames and old comb etc today which I've attracted loads of bees today making use of the old comb and honey which I'm assuming is fine for them and glad it's getting used. I would obviously like them to set up home but I think they are only having a good feed.

 

[Swarm]

Prepare yourself ...
Do not leave old comb or honey around for bees to 'use'. Regardless of whether it was OK, it is a disease vector as any bee in the area will come along and fill her boots ... and spread .. who knows what?
Basic apiary hygiene. Big no, no.

 

[deanrpwaacs]

Does the same apply for cappings and waste from the honey harvest . I do not do it myself but have seen a couple of posts on twatter of people doing it . Left out in the open that is .

 

[pargyle]

Does the same apply for cappings and waste from the honey harvest . I do not do it myself but have seen a couple of posts on twatter of people doing it . Left out in the open that is .

Yes ... Big No NO ... They do a lot of open feeding in the USA and people see them doing it on YouTube but it's a really silly and potentially dangerous practice as bees from anywhere will congregate on it like a bee fast food joint and any disease from anywhere can get spread about - it won't be just your bees that are attracted to it ..

If you want to feed your honey back to them or get them to clean cappings put them in a feeder on the top of the hive with the roof on so only your bees can get at it ... a rapid feeder without the cone with the lid on will do the trick, or an Ashforth or Miller feeder if you use them.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Does the same apply for cappings and waste from the honey harvest . I do not do it myself but have seen a couple of posts on twatter of people doing it . Left out in the open that is .

Yes it does - totally daft and irresponsible - same as those eejits who leave newly extracted supers outside for the bees to 'clean up' - can spread disease, trigger robbing and cause a real nuisance and distress to neighbours when every bee in the neighbourhood comes mooching around their property looking for the free feed they've heard about.

 

[buzzybeezzee]

Prepare yourself ...
Do not leave old comb or honey around for bees to 'use'. Regardless of whether it was OK, it is a disease vector as any bee in the area will come along and fill her boots ... and spread .. who knows what?
Basic apiary hygiene. Big no, no.

Also, I think like you

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Prepare yourself ...
Do not leave old comb or honey around for bees to 'use'. Regardless of whether it was OK, it is a disease vector as any bee in the area will come along and fill her boots ... and spread .. who knows what?
Basic apiary hygiene. Big no, no.

From a DEAD-OUT, no less!

 

[user 6228]

Incoming!!!


Just realised this is the beginners section ... no worries then.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I lost my first colony early this year, I've been organising a few old frames and old comb etc today which I've attracted loads of bees today making use of the old comb and honey which I'm assuming is fine for them and glad it's getting used. I would obviously like them to set up home but I think they are only having a good feed.

So your colony died and you assume it's fine to let all and sundry help themselves to what might be contaminated honey? This idea comes up with monotonous regularity. Somehow there must be a way to get the word out to new beekeepers that IT'S A BAD IDEA
If the honey is contaminated there will be bees from far and wide carrying the stuff back to their colonies. If it isn't some of the freeloaders could be bringing diseases in to your transfer station and onwards to other local colonies.

 

[BeeJayBee]

I lost my first colony early this year,

What a pity the colony you were hoping to save didn't make it.
http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?p=532257#post532257

I lost my first colony early this year, I've been organising a few old frames and old comb etc today which I've attracted loads of bees today making use of the old comb and honey which I'm assuming is fine for them and glad it's getting used. I would obviously like them to set up home but I think they are only having a good feed.

Some places do seem to suggest that it's okay to open feed, or to put cappings out for bees to clean up, but with a lot of unregistered beekeepers with unknown levels of disease in their colonies, it isn't a good idea because it can spread disease and lead to fighting.

Why not get yourself onto your local association's swarm wanted list and, in the meantime, clean up the empty boxes so your hive is ready for some new bees and/or use the hive as a bait box, but make sure you only use clean and empty comb as an attractant.

Good luck.

 

[charlievictorbravo]

I seem to recall that open feeding of honey to bees is illegal in Australia - it certainly is in New South Wales.

Australia has had so many disasters with non-native species and imported diseases that they now take bio-security very seriously - even to the point of not exporting fruit from one state to another. As you pass from NSW to Victoria (I'm pretty sure it was Victoria) there are bins on the side of the road where motorists are supposed to dump their perfectly edible fruit.

If you arrive at Sydney International Airport from the UK with mud on your shoes or boots, you will be escorted to a secure "bio-cleansing area" where you have to wash the mud off - this is because of Foot and Mouth Disease and Mad Cow disease. As I said, they take bio-security seriously to the point of ridiculous and not open feeding honey is part of it.

CVB

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

I think OP gets the point. And it IS the beginners' section...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Hivemaker.]

I seem to recall that open feeding of honey to bees is illegal in Australia - it certainly is in New South Wales.

The original poster is in South Wales, not New South Wales.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

The original poster is in South Wales, not New South Wales.

The one where they spray mud ONTO your boots :- )