Honey stores after colony loss

[Griffo]

After some truly dreadful wet and cold this spring, I decided yesterday was finally warm enough to inspect. In one hive I found severely depleted numbers, no brood, no sign of the queen. I rearranged the frames to make sure they had access to the honey, but I think it inevitable that it will be a loss.
There are at least half a dozen frames in the hive which are heavy with honey and I am wondering what I should do with them. They are too big to go in my extractor so I would have to press them I suppose. Will the honey be any good ?
Certainly can't feed to other colonies for fear of disease.
Some advice would be appreciated.

 

[peterbees]

If you are concerned about the health of the colony, you may like to contact the seasonal bee inspector. They are working now, I think. They can advise on reuse of the combs of honey.

 

[john t]

i think its a little early to be making assumptions and writing the colony off,and thinking of worst,
i would give them a week then inspect again , if still no signs of the queen why not give them a frame with some fresh eggs from another colony if you can ,give them the opportunity to raise another
treat it as a challenge to see if you can get them going again

sounds like they have enough stores , have they got room to lay ? remove a few older frames and replace with foundation placed near the center,
feed some syrup, give them some work to do

observe the flying bees, are they bringing in pollen ?,

as for stores removed from the brood box i would only use these to feed back to the bees, as most probably have been fed sugar at some point, not too concerned with disease unless it is obvious, the next few weeks is when it all starts to happen if its going to

 

[Beefriendly]

i would give them a week then inspect again , if still no signs of the queen why not give them a frame with some fresh eggs from another colony if you can ,give them the opportunity to raise another
treat it as a challenge to see if you can get them going again

It will be a challenge if there are no drones around, that's for sure.

 

[john t]

i spotted a few newly hatched drones last week at my own hive here in Hampshire,

 

[Beefriendly]

Best send them up to Flintshire....

 

[john t]

Best send them up to Flintshire....

i had to look on the map, never knew there was such a place, something learned every day lol

 

[MuswellMetro]

After some truly dreadful wet and cold this spring, I decided yesterday was finally warm enough to inspect. In one hive I found severely depleted numbers, no brood, no sign of the queen. I rearranged the frames to make sure they had access to the honey, but I think it inevitable that it will be a loss.
There are at least half a dozen frames in the hive which are heavy with honey and I am wondering what I should do with them. They are too big to go in my extractor so I would have to press them I suppose. Will the honey be any good ?
Certainly can't feed to other colonies for fear of disease.
Some advice would be appreciated.

if it is honey not for sale, cut it up, remove the wire, place it in a plastic container and Micro wave it for 2 mins and then 30 sec repaeeated until it melts the wax, leave it to cool and seperate the honey from the wax...but high HMF so possibly not saleable except as Bakers Honey ( cooking honey) though it will taste ok

 

[oliver90owner]

Griffo,

Put them in a warm nuc. Best you can do, really. May need more bees to support any brood - only you know how ‘depleted’ they are.

Presumably the stores are not sugar syrup? Unless there is reason to believe that disease is present, they can be used I would think. What disease do you fear? Again you are the beekeeper and we cannot see the situation from our perches!

 

[Finman]

.
I try to use the winter food. First I must determine, what killed the colony; can I give the food to another colony.

I have quite a pile old winter food frames which are waiting melting. And old honey combs too full of rotten honey.

Try to use remaining winter food is every year a problem, do I get ridd of from it before new yield. I do not feed hives in spring. First I use recent stores.

Artificial swarms is one which use quite a lot sugar when they draw foundations.

 

[Finman]

if it is honey not for sale, cut it up, remove the wire, place it in a plastic container and Micro wave it for 2 mins and then 30 sec repaeeated until it melts the wax, leave it to cool and seperate the honey from the wax...but high HMF so possibly not saleable except as Bakers Honey ( cooking honey) though it will taste ok

Good heavens what a recipe!.

To build a sun melter is better optinon.

.

 

[Griffo]

Thanks for all the replies and comments. The Willow is now in flower here, so I'm hoping it gets warm enough for the girls to benefit. Raining and still cold this afternoon! Heatwave on the way eh?
If the depleted hives are still with us in a weeks time I will move some eggs over from the good hive into a poly nuc with the bees and some clean frames.