Wet supers

[alancooper]

I have wet supers which I plan to return to hives for the bees to clean. Because of a shed problem they have been stored outdoors and are not in good condition. Some frames have fermenting stores and mould. I will put a Q excluder than a plywood separator with a small hole above the brood box, then the supers and the insulated crown board and roof. I usually put my wet supers on after first inspection, mid April-ish but I am considering doing it this week despite the poor weather.
Is it an unnecessary risk with little to be gained?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I have wet supers which I plan to return to hives for the bees to clean. Because of a shed problem they have been stored outdoors and are not in good condition. Some frames have fermenting stores and mould. I will put a Q excluder than a plywood separator with a small hole above the brood box, then the supers and the insulated crown board and roof. I usually put my wet supers on after first inspection, mid April-ish but I am considering doing it this week despite the poor weather.
Is it an unnecessary risk with little to be gained?

Just put the supers on the hives when the bees need space to store the new season nectar, no need for all the nonsense with the small hole etc.
The bees will clean the comb before they put the new honey in. There is no 'risk' at all with putting supers stored wet for the winter back on when the new spring flow starts

 

[alancooper]

“When they need the space to store spring nectar”. Yes - makes perfect sense. I will wait until after first inspection.. Thanks

 

[Antipodes]

Some frames have fermenting stores

Fermenting stores may be different from wet supers (like after extraction). Do you really mean stores or is it just what's left after being in an extractor?

 

[alancooper]

Fermenting stores may be different from wet supers (like after extraction). Do you really mean stores or is it just what's left after being in an extractor?

The honey had been extracted from the frames. Some frames had unsealed wet crystallised stores. There was a strong alcoholic smell. Before I put supers onto the hives in a couple of weeks I will shake out any drops. Some super frames (used in a brood box) had mouldy pollen.

 

[Antipodes]

Some frames had unsealed wet crystallised stores.

That sounds like some of the honey wasn't extracted.
Good plan. I'd probably not be concerned about standard wet supers , but fermenting crystallised stores I'd probably soak for a while, wash out with a hose , shake off and let dry. All the best with them Alan.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The honey had been extracted from the frames. Some frames had unsealed wet crystallised stores. There was a strong alcoholic smell. Before I put supers onto the hives in a couple of weeks I will shake out any drops. Some super frames (used in a brood box) had mouldy pollen.

perfectly OK to put on the hives as they are - I've never had any issues and have been doing it this way for years - the fermentation is not an issue, neither is mouldy pollen or crystallised stores, the bees will clean it all up

 

[Mabee]

You could always stick them under the brood box to clean then move them up when the flow starts.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

You could always stick them under the brood box to clean then move them up when the flow starts.

why bother? that makes no sense whatsoever - just put them on top, they will clean them in situ and then fill them

 

[hemo]

Mine are stored wet as well, simply put them on top as per normal for use.

 

[Antipodes]

Mine are stored wet as well, simply put them on top as per normal for use.

With unsealed, wet , crystallised and fermenting stores? (read post #5)

 

[pargyle]

With unsealed, wet , crystallised and fermenting stores? (read post #5)

You don't understand ... after the frames are extracted the remnants of honey in the cells is very small ... it rarely ferments to any extent and even if it does, it's not an issue. If there are cells with crystallised honey in them they will still be there next spring. Pollen usually gets sorted by the pollen mites but again, not a worry. When you put the supers back on the next year the bees will clean them up before using them again. I've always stored my supers wet .. never had a problem. But, of course, by your standards - I'm not a proper beekeeper.

 

[Antipodes]

You don't understand ... after the frames are extracted the remnants of honey in the cells is very small ... it rarely ferments to any extent and even if it does, it's not an issue. If there are cells with crystallised honey in them they will still be there next spring. Pollen usually gets sorted by the pollen mites but again, not a worry. When you put the supers back on the next year the bees will clean them up before using them again. I've always stored my supers wet .. never had a problem. But, of course, by your standards - I'm not a proper beekeeper.

You don't understand.
Go back and re-read the posts... very slowly and carefully.

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

Gosh, I'm wondering what (fun) I'm missing here. Something to do with unextracted ('crystallised') honey remaining in the frames, as opposed to the residue of extracted honey ('standard wet supers')?

I think the message being given out is that we can safely put our wet supers back on in spring despite our misgivings about odour or anything else and the bees will sort them out.

Most of my empty boxes have to be stored in the open over winter. Yesterday, I took a stack of five brood boxes to get them ready for double brood, vertical splits, whatever... Some of them were unsightly, to say the least! No (or very little) wax moth, but the pollen dust had gone black. I'm guessing that moisture had entered through gaps in the sides of the stack, and the lack of ventilation led to this.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

You don't understand.
Go back and re-read the posts... very slowly and carefully.

we do understand, and I have gone back and re-read the post more than once - you (as is your norm) were pretty clueless andwere talking rubbish at the first reading and however carefully I read it the second and third time you are still talking absolute rot.

 

[Swarm]

Let's try to be polite instead of assuming some superior position? It is possible to disagree without throwing insults.

 

[hemo]

Typically as I read it Alan has wet stored supers from extracting ( though this isn't mentioned ), I doubt if the stores are of a great amount to be of concern so simply placing on top of a colony will not cause any major issue. Shaking them out before placing on top will get rid of most of any loose wet fermented stores.

I have had no issue in the past doing the same at this time of year and even with open ivy stores or wet sealed ivy store where the cappings have become wetted from dripping wet supers from above have not given the bees any issues, they simply clean out the stores and crystals dump are dumped out of the hive via the mesh floor . A small amount of wet fermented remnants following Autumn storage isn't a big deal for them, it isn't like htye are being given them back for over wintering where dissentry would be a bigger issue.

 

[hemo]

You don't understand.
Go back and re-read the posts... very slowly and carefully.

We have and do understand , it's a non issue for spring build up.

 

[Swarm]

Gosh, I'm wondering what (fun) I'm missing here. Something to do with unextracted ('crystallised') honey remaining in the frames, as opposed to the residue of extracted honey ('standard wet supers')?

I think the message being given out is that we can safely put our wet supers back on in spring despite our misgivings about odour or anything else and the bees will sort them out.

Most of my empty boxes have to be stored in the open over winter. Yesterday, I took a stack of five brood boxes to get them ready for double brood, vertical splits, whatever... Some of them were unsightly, to say the least! No (or very little) wax moth, but the pollen dust had gone black. I'm guessing that moisture had entered through gaps in the sides of the stack, and the lack of ventilation led to this.

I try to avoid leaving any boxes out in the elements as the driving rain inevitably finds a way in, even if they are tightly strapped. All my boxes with combs are kept under cover in open sided shelters, the roofs seem to be sufficient to keep the worst of the weather at bay. I do have a few stacks of old boxes storing unused frames of foundation out in the open but these don't go mouldy.

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

I try to avoid leaving any boxes out in the elements as the driving rain inevitably finds a way in, even if they are tightly strapped. All my boxes with combs are kept under cover in open sided shelters, the roofs seem to be sufficient to keep the worst of the weather at bay. I do have a few stacks of old boxes storing unused frames of foundation out in the open but these don't go mouldy.

Ah, that would be nice to have that space. Its not my preference to store them outside.