Wet Supers

[BILL.HEARD]

Yes - store them wet, much less faffery and it keeps the waxmoth away

Can't agree more, have had bees for more than fifty years and always store the supers wet, no problems with waxmoth and it gets the bees up into the supers quickly in the spring.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Not in my experience
Pollen mites get at the pollen which becomes a powder and easily tips out with a sharp tap of the frame.
Never had mould either.

Never had frames go mouldy through storing wet and they look the same as they did when I extracted. The stack of supers should be kept sheltered of course, not open to the elements.

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

You’re very agreeable today. What’s wrong?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

You’re very agreeable today. What’s wrong?

Just lulling you buggers into a false sense of security

 

[Swarm]

Here you go then ....
I used to just store wet, until I lost quite a few combs to wax moth. I treat them all now, no point risking good comb.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Yes - store them wet, much less faffery and it keeps the waxmoth away

Not so.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Not so.

Explain?

 

[pargyle]

Not in my experience
Pollen mites get at the pollen which becomes a powder and easily tips out with a sharp tap of the frame.
Never had mould either.

Never had frames go mouldy through storing wet and they look the same as they did when I extracted. The stack of supers should be kept sheltered of course, not open to the elements.

Same here ... even if there is a little bit of mould around the edges the bees quickly clean it up .. never had a problem with pollen ...

But ...I know many beekeepers who do put the supers back on for the bees to clean up. I did it once in the early years .. no problems with the bees cleaning them over a crownboard with a small hole and I put an eke between the crownboard and the super (my ekes are all dual purpose clearer boards/ekes) and then I put the rhombus clearer back on the eke to get them out of the cleaned super. Seems a bit of a faff these days and like others - just as easy to store them wet.

My wet supers go into a Keter store over winter - nice big one I picked up on Gumtree.. takes two stacks of supers stacked side by side. On a low stand with a seed tray underneath and thin polycarbonate crown boards every couple of supers. Works well for me as a system.

 

[enrico]

Just so that you all know.....have had one box of wet supers after extraction which was sealed top and bottom and has been stood for three weeks. Looked in it today, two frames had wax moths both very wet. I will stick to letting the bees clean them and spray and store them.
Maybe JBM and Dani are lucky or I am unlucky. Maybe wax moth is a bigger problem here. Who knows? But they were there. Wish I had taken a photo before destroying them!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Just so that you all know.....have had one box of wet supers after extraction which was sealed top and bottom and has been stood for three weeks. Looked in it today, two frames had wax moths both very wet. I will stick to letting the bees clean them and spray and store them.
Maybe JBM and Dani are lucky or I am unlucky. Maybe wax moth is a bigger problem here. Who knows? But they were there. Wish I had taken a photo before destroying them!

Maybe it depends what you do with them between clearing extracting and storing. My supers come off, are extracted the same day and put into storage the same day. Easy to do with just a few colonies.

 

[enrico]

Maybe it depends what you do with them between clearing extracting and storing. My supers come off, are extracted the same day and put into storage the same day. Easy to do with just a few colonies.

Exactly what I do and all in the same room too!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Exactly what I do and all in the same room too!

Well then you pays your money and you take your chances.

 

[Swarm]

Just so that you all know.....have had one box of wet supers after extraction which was sealed top and bottom and has been stood for three weeks. Looked in it today, two frames had wax moths both very wet. I will stick to letting the bees clean them and spray and store them.
Maybe JBM and Dani are lucky or I am unlucky. Maybe wax moth is a bigger problem here. Who knows? But they were there. Wish I had taken a photo before destroying them!

You have my sympathies Eric, I hope they don't become a major menace for you. I have seven wet frames full of wax moth I could photograph, they are in a bag in the shed. I could melt them down but I have some burning to do so they'll be good for getting that going.
I have a stack of wet supers waiting for treatment and found a wax moth on them last night! I still store them wet but they all get treated before storing.
It's only the past few years, never had a problem before.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Explain?

It doesn't keep the wax moth away. They may prefer brood comb but will still go for super comb if there's nothing else, just as you might find a wm cocoon under a hive floor sometimes.

 

[Antipodes]

Just so that you all know.....have had one box of wet supers after extraction which was sealed top and bottom and has been stood for three weeks. Looked in it today, two frames had wax moths both very wet. I will stick to letting the bees clean them and spray and store them.
Maybe JBM and Dani are lucky or I am unlucky. Maybe wax moth is a bigger problem here. Who knows? But they were there. Wish I had taken a photo before destroying them!

The eggs were in the boxes and/or frames/comb when you stored them. Freezing boxes and frames/comb for the appropriate time will kill the eggs.

 

[enrico]

The eggs were in the boxes and/or frames/comb when you stored them. Freezing boxes and frames/comb for the appropriate time will kill the eggs.

Oh that I had room in one of my three freezers! It's autumn, they are full of garden produce. Easier to store dry!