Storing supers for winter

[Nannysbees]

Bit early I know but thinking how do we store the supers over winter. Do we freeze them first to kill off any bugs, do we freeze them through the winter, do we store them in a sealed box or with some air flow?
What if they are wet so they go back to the bees to clean or are we OK to store them wet?

 

[madasafish]

Wet, Bees clean
Stacked in garden on hive stand. And dodgy joints duct taped. CB top and bottom. Strapped together.
No issues at all.

 

[Anduril]

Mine are stored wet on top of sealed entrance open mesh floor, crownboard above supers and roof on top. These boxes haven't been used for brood.

 

[Susan1]

I strongly wrap dry supers in cling film and stack one on top of other in my bee shed on a sturdy table, with top one covered by a crown board . Touch wood no problems so far.

 

[lindsay s]

Wet and individually sealed in black bin bags, then labelled with the following; type of comb, whether drawn or part drawn and year. They are then stacked in my garage with a crownboard on top. If they are airtight I find any combs containing pollen don’t go mouldy. There’s nothing like the slightly fermented smell of honey in a wet super to entice the bees up the next spring and it gives them a boost. I recommend Lidl’s heavy duty refuse sacks.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Umm mine this winter are going to be stacked in a Dutch barn mostly wet but some dry they will be sealed both top and bottom and I will be using sulphur bombs when I first store them before there sealed. And again in the spring

I will check them through out winter probably after the frosts and when there isn't flying insects about in cold weather.
I will be separating good drawn comb from the not so good and stacking them accordingly.

 

[The Poot]

Same as Lindsay S, but without the labels......good idea, thanks Lindsay

 

[The Poot]

Same as Lindsay S, but without the labels......good idea, thanks Lindsay

Oops sorry, thought it hadn’t posted, then there was two.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

wet, in stacks of ten,18" square OSB board top and bottom cinched up with two ratchet straps and stored in an open sided shelter outside

 

[Erichalfbee]

Wet stacked on a tray lined with newspaper in garden shed. In nines with a Payne’s plastic crownboard every three topped with a roof and strapped.
Boxes are sorted into usable frames before storing so ready to go

 

[Rhyolite]

What do people mean by wet and dry? Also are you referring to the entire super with frames of honey/ nectar?

 

[user 819]

Wet = extracted but not given back to the bees to clean up.
Dry = extracted and given back to the bees to clean up.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Wet is straight from the extractor
Dry is letting the bees clean the frames up
I’ve always stored frames wet and never had wax moth
Dry frames have to be treated to prevent it

 

[Erichalfbee]

Wet = extracted but not given back to the bees to clean up.
Dry = extracted and given back to the bees to clean up.

Snap

 

[Rhyolite]

Wet is straight from the extractor
Dry is letting the bees clean the frames up
I’ve always stored frames wet and never had wax moth
Dry frames have to be treated to prevent it

Great, thank you for this

 

[Angry_Mob]

I store mine wet, usually a wooden crown board top and bottom and a few thin clear plastic crown boards every so many supers. Then strapped tight and stored in my container as high as it will allow.

Currently in the process of making dollys so I can roll stacks of them to the door when needed and also be able to stack them deeper.

 

[bobba]

What do you lot do about wax moth?

After extracting last year I left my supers in the consevetory for about a week. When I went to move them to the shed for long term storage, I found some were already under attack from wax moth.

So I killed the grubs I could see and sprayed with dipel df. Luckily they were OK in the spring.

 

[Erichalfbee]

What do you lot do about wax moth?

Store wet

 

[bobba]

Store wet

Mine were wet, and the larvae were happily chomping away on them.

I was a bit unsure about spraying wet supers with dipel, but it seemed to work. I was worried the extra moisture would ferment the honey. Some of my supers sure did stink in the spring!

In the spring I could also see where more had hatched and quickly died. Of cause, I cannot tell for sure if the dipel killed them or if they would have died anyway.

But after last years experience, I will sleep better if I have given them a spray.

 

[Rhyolite]

If I don't extract and save the frames as a food top up for next spring, do I apply the same method as above?