stores in super v syrup feeding

[wondervet]

could do with words of wisdom if anyone has a moment. this is the kind of thing that books don't answer.

getting ready to rearrange a brood box with a view to eliminating a set of 5 old frames. either a Bailey frame change type manoeuvre with a box full of new foundation on top of existing or alternatively old frames in new box above a QX until brood has hatched. nice strong colony but don't want to shook swarm now as hoping for some OSR in April.

this lot still have half a super full of stores from syrup fed in Sept -which I'd quite like them to use up.

question is, If I leave the super on top can they/will they use the stores to draw out all the new foundation or will they need syrup as well/instead?

thanks in anticipation

 

[Finman]

.
So, you have 2 hives and one box full of winter sugar.

Leave the food untill it is swarming time.
When you make a false swarm, you give a new box and there 4 syrup frames in one group, one brood frame and the rest foundations. Bee draw the foundations in couple of days and they clean the super combs for brood. So they do not store winterfood as honey.

If you get a swarm, you give syrup frames as swarm food and they draw foundations with that.

When this is done, you join the false swarm and parent hive to get good yield.

Order of frames: 10 frames

found - found- found - syrup- syr - brood- syr -syr - found - found.

 

[oliver90owner]

Finman is right, use the sugar honey for wax building and brood feeding.

You could put your super under the broods and the bees will move it into the (topmost) brood box space while consuming some for brood and comb building. A Q/E over the box would ensure she doesn't lay in it, but it would need to be removed before any drone brood starts emerging. I don't bother too much as my colonies don't normally have sugar honey as a potential springtime problem.

I would likely be removing some of those stores frames in the brood box for other purposes if the brood box becomes congested. Watch bee health, if swapping frames around. Spare combs of stores are always useful sometime.

Regards, RAB

 

[Arfermo]

Finman is right, use the sugar honey for wax building and brood feeding.

You could put your super under the broods and the bees will move it into the (topmost) brood box space while consuming some for brood and comb building. A Q/E over the box would ensure she doesn't lay in it, but it would need to be removed before any drone brood starts emerging. I don't bother too much as my colonies don't normally have sugar honey as a potential springtime problem.
Regards, RAB

Good post. I have supers with a mix of runny and granulated honey that I have put under them with Q/E. They look happy.

 

[RoseCottage]

Rab,
How long in your experience should old sugar syrup frames be stored before being banned? Mine have been in plastic storage boxes since last winter.

Thanks,
Sam

 

[Finman]

.
Important is to liberate combs from old stuff.
But I do not understant what the excluder makes there?
When queen lays into combs, they will be cleaned sooner and consumed.

 

[oliver90owner]

Finman,

Here was the answer before you posted!

"A Q/E over the box would ensure she doesn't lay in it"

Simple fact, that is all.

Regards, RAB

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Rose Cottage,

How long in your experience

I don't haven't any experience! I always used to use them the following season, to get rid of them and get the frames back in use. I have not used any autumn feeds for several years, don't have super frames with stores usually, and few surplus frames from the brood.

If any colonies are a bit short I distribute any spare 14 x 12 frames to them. The odd few left over (honestly, there are very few, if any) are used in the following spring, if needed, or for nucs early summer. I have even added a super frame to a colony, in the past, if I was short of winter stores.

I work that way because I then know there will be no worries at all, of sugar syrup honey getting into my crop and am a hobbyist, not a bee farmer.

Now, as the syrup has been at least processed by the bees, I would expect it to last a few years in proper storage. I would use up those frames now as they are 18 months old and need recycling back into use. They are an valuable commodity, the bees having invested time and energy into drawing the comb as well as processing the sugar syrup. They are taking up storage space, too.

An alternative storage method, to keep them perfectly serviceable, could be in a freezer.

Hope that helps.

Regards, RAB

If you are worried, then extract and discard the sugar honey, but re-use the frames!

I have binned very little honey in frames in my ten years beekeeping.

 

[RoseCottage]

Rab,
Thanks for your thoughts. I am not working this week so I will get on to them and see what I can use for spring and chuck out other that look/smell funny.

Sam