Movement of crystallised stores

[Monsieur Abeille]

I've popped back onto the hives a couple of supers with crystallised stores in them, separated by a feeding board and empty super in the hope that the bees will move some down. Its difficult to judge if this is happening though, if it is its pretty slow. I doused one of the supers in water , which I am guessing will probably help.

At some stage soon I will take them off and start the autumn feeding, and I may well leave one under the brood box overwinter.

The stores have been back on for 4 days or so, and the bees seem to enjoy their presence, but I'd be interested in knowledgeable folks's opinions as to whether they are just grazing or if some actually relocation of stores is likely to be happening.

 

[enrico]

Depends if they have room to move it down to!
E

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Granted! Yes they have plenty of room

 

[enrico]

I find they clean wet supers easily but ones with nearly full cells they seem reluctant to clean if they already have loads of stores....don't know why! I have even found they will cap them if they are ripe! Leave them for three or four days and take them off with a clearer board and then use them later in the year if they need them! That's what I do
E

 

[REDWOOD]

It's a lot of work for bees to move crystallised honey and will find this honey untouched in the spring