Soft Set Honey & feeding back?

[TooBee...]

Ok, I have a field of OSR planted late last year about a mile away, but the main nectar flow in my area was later in summer than OSR flowers, so I was thinking of taking the OSR off the hive first and turn it to Soft Set Honey, sometimes called Creamed or Whipped. I've read that the bottom of the bucket can contain honey with a lot of air pockets which can't be bottled, can I feed this back to the bees? That's the first question.

After I take the super off that will contain the OSR honey, I wanted to put Sections in, to get the little boxes with honey comb in them, I've been told that if I place extracted combs still sticky with some honey residue (or even the cappings) above the crown board with the feed hole open, the bees will take the honey down and it will help the Sections to be filled out, is this right, and could this be done with the bubbly left overs from the Soft Set Honey?

It goes without saying, that I know not to mix honey from one hive to the other, in case I spread disease.

 

[drex]

It is not clear whether you have an osr crop from last year or are anticipating one this year. I make all my osr into soft set and there is no worry about air in bucket if i have stirred it carefully. I would advise you get a bit more experience before thinking about sections as they can be difficult to get the bees to draw them fully. Cut comb would be an easier start.

 

[For want of a better word]

It is not clear whether you have an osr crop from last year or are anticipating one this year. I make all my osr into soft set and there is no worry about air in bucket if i have stirred it carefully. I would advise you get a bit more experience before thinking about sections as they can be difficult to get the bees to draw them fully. Cut comb would be an easier start.

Sections filled with OSR* are not very popular... have tried to avoid once getting some returned with the remark.. there something wrong with this honeycomb it is solid and smells as if the cat has peed over it!
I presume that if the beekeeper fed OSR back to the bees and they had only sections to fill, then that is where they would put it?

* or in cut comb... best put into the apimelter... cooked up and sold on as bakers honey... dreadful stuff!

However saying that people buy Manuka!

 

[Beefriendly]

Sections filled with OSR* are not very popular...

That would why TooBee specified they would be added AFTER the OSR flow....
Do read what posters say....or have you been on the mead again? Bit early in the day even for you.

 

[For want of a better word]

That would why TooBee specified they would be added AFTER the OSR flow....
Do read what posters say....or have you been on the mead again? Bit early in the day even for you.

Question was in two parts?
Obviously one of those 11 plus type questions designed to fail you!

But IF the beekeeper did feed back OSR honey to his bees when attempting to get sections filled, he could end up with solid lumps of section... as opposed to the delicious golden runney honey sections we sell out of by September... year in year out!

 

[Beefriendly]

as opposed to the delicious golden runney honey sections we sell out of by September... year in year out!

Yes it shouldn't take you long to sell your 1/2 dozen cut combs.

 

[For want of a better word]

Yes it shouldn't take you long to sell your 1/2 dozen cut combs.

OMG you have trapped something in your fly zip today!

 

[TooBee...]

Question was in two parts?
Obviously one of those 11 plus type questions designed to fail you!

But IF the beekeeper did feed back OSR honey to his bees when attempting to get sections filled, he could end up with solid lumps of section...

Let me guess, you failed your 11+ ... (or should have, or would now...)

Soft Set or Creamed OSR honey does not set hard, ... so I'm asking if the remains of the Soft Set honey can be fed back to the bees, in which they will most likely place it in the Sections, ... so are you saying that AFTER they do this, this Soft Set honey WILL turn to "solid lumps", as I've never done this, I just wondered what would happen - thanks for telling me that; although I don't understand how Soft Set honey sets hard after the bees have moved it...

 

[TooBee...]

That would why TooBee specified they would be added AFTER the OSR flow....
Do read what posters say....or have you been on the mead again? Bit early in the day even for you.

Hi Beefriendly,

at least you actually read the question, thanks, I think the Post was too long, but I like to give full information for those that can understand.

It's just that most beekeepers I know tell me to leave my combs, buckets, etc. outside the hives for the bees to clean, that was not an option this year for me due to the huge numbers of wasps, so I've heard of placing them above the crown board with the feed hole left open as a better alternative, just never tried it, wasn't sure if it would work on Soft Set honey remains, or if the bees could eat the Soft Set honey?

 

[For want of a better word]

Let me guess, you failed your 11+ ... (or should have, or would now...)

confused:

60 years ago.... was there an 11 plus back then ?... vast majority of the children in my school ( Slum clearance.... heavily bombed London East End clearance... could barely read..... I am therefore quite pleased with my Honours Degree in Environmental Science from the University of Plymouth!

I do not know if the bees would fill your sections with honey recovered from buckets or whatever... or if indeed it would set hard again if from OSR with its high sucrose levels.
Try it and see....
I do know that when extracted frames are returned to the colony for a clean up prior to autumnal storage and feeding, that they consume it with some relish... but for some reason my bees ignore the hardened honey in the OSR comb.
Sections are worth attempting... sell at high end, produced and sold around 160 last season*.... worth an experiment... cut comb is by far easier!

*We did get an exceptional harvest... not a lot of OSR down here fortunately

Chons da

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Hi Beefriendly,

at least you actually read the question, thanks, I think the Post was too long, but I like to give full information for those that can understand.

It's just that most beekeepers I know tell me to leave my combs, buckets, etc. outside the hives for the bees to clean, that was not an option this year for me due to the huge numbers of wasps, so I've heard of placing them above the crown board with the feed hole left open as a better alternative, just never tried it, wasn't sure if it would work on Soft Set honey remains, or if the bees could eat the Soft Set honey?

As I tell my beginners - leaving honey outside the hive will attract your bees, feral bees, everyone else's bees, wasps, flies and every other sweet feeding/gathering insect. What a wonderful way to spread pathogens and parasites!

 

[Poly Hive]

I remember reading about this technique of getting sections finished, as in over the CB feeding. I tried it. Utter failure. So...

There used to be "section bees" which withstood crowding as section supers WERE crowded. Most sections were left unfinished (in general) and so the round section appeared, the Ross Round as it was called then. They are much easier to achieve and might be your way forward. I used to put three in an 8 frame Lang super.

Just a thought.

PH

 

[enrico]

A quick ps
For some reason ,when bees move and store honey for the second time, it never seems to set as solid. Maybe they add more 'stuff' to stopmit setting!
E

 

[TooBee...]

What a wonderful way to spread pathogens and parasites!

Yes, that's what I thought, one can have the attitude that "my bees are healthy, they'll not spread disease" ... but open feeding like this could enable them to catch something!

the Ross Round as it was called then. They are much easier to achieve and might be your way forward.

I didn't know that, that's extremely interesting, I think I might try them

Instead of placing the honey above the Crown Board to try and get them to finish the Sections, I could try and maybe place it under the Brood area and the Sections above the Brood area, apparently bees will move honey (that's been opened with a Roller), above the Brood into Supers very quickly.

For some reason ,when bees move and store honey for the second time, it never seems to set as solid. Maybe they add more 'stuff' to stopmit setting!

That's what I was wondering, if the honey was exactly the same, Soft Set / Whipped honey is quite thickish, and I don't think thickish honey is what people expect in Sections (I've never seen Heather honey in Sections).

***
Thank you guys, I really do appreciate the help you've given, it's shared experience like this that can really help us beginners along, hopefully I'll be able to help beginners along one day soon too

 

[Beefriendly]

Soft Set / Whipped honey is quite thickish, and I don't think thickish honey is what people expect in Sections (I've never seen Heather honey in Sections).

I think you will find , should you fed set honey (soft set is set) back to the bees they will dissolve it back to runny. Much will be used for basic metabolic needs and unless a super excess not much will get stored in the combs....whatever is put there will be runny (initially) and much diluted with any current flow.