What to do with honey in brood frames (unsealed)?

[Norvic_chris]

I've done a couple of successful Demarees and now have a brood box acting as a super. I've extracted the frames that were capped/ready (and distributed others among the hives where possible) but still have 10 frames left (from the two Demareed brood boxes) that are about 2/3 full but not ripe for extraction.

What is the best and quickest way to get the honey ripened and ready for extraction? I've got it on a strong colony with 3 other supers.

The reason I need to do this in some haste is that the box is very heavy and I have a bad back, making inspections very difficult. Oh, and it's mostly OSR, so I don't want it going solid! The joys of beekeeping!! Thank you for your thoughts.

 

[Finman]

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You have a problem. You have honey in you hive. You serious. Actually you are lucky that you got that much honey.

It is normal that bees have not capped all honey. When hives get next flow, they continue filling and capping. You must live with it.

Hives need allways space for nectar when they dry the moisture off.

If box I heavy, lift part of honey frames off that you may lift the box.

 

[Arfermo]

Only bees can ripen and store honey. Based upon what you say, how about putting the BB type super below the other BBs and letting the bees move it up to proper supers above any CB? They would then cap it as it is ripened and stored. You would then be able to either remove full supers or, after brushing bees off, pick out the frames that are 75% or so capped for extraction. Have I misunderstood?

 

[BeeJayBee]

A couple of ideas from Dave Cushman and Roger Patterson, intended for sections but might also work in your situation http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/easysections.html

 

[Norvic_chris]

Many thanks for your thoughts and ideas, all sensible. I may just have to live with it for now and hope that it's capped when (or if) the next flow comes on. Mind you, the bit in Dave Cushman's/Roger Patterson's site seems like an interesting way of forcing the honey to be moved and may be worth a try -- it's quite a bit of effort but actually makes complete sense.

Thank you!

 

[Finman]

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This kind of difficulty is typical in late summer when pastures does not give more honey, and open honey will stay where it is.

But now in the middle of honey season is a normal phase in hives, that there us one capped honey box and other supers have open nectar.

You cannot take it off and you cannot speed the nectar production in flowers. Just wait that weathers become better and nature starts to give more flow.

And mainly , bees need enough space inside the the hive, that they do not start swarming. They need the space even if frames have not honey inside at all.

I wonder where you put bees when you took space away?

When frames are half filled, the frames must be uppermost in the hive that bees fill the rest of cells. Ripen honey is up and nectar and empty combs are above brood frames.

Return the frames to their original hives. Put half box those frames and the rest foundations. In this case those honey frames and foundations can be above brood too.
These variations are very common in my hives.

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[user 6228]

Check water content of each frame (refractometer)
Then calculate average water content
If the average isnt too high say 25%,
extract mix and then dessicate using a dehumidifier

 

[Finman]

Check water content of each frame (refractometer)
Then calculate average water content
If the average isnt too high say 25%,
extract mix and then dessicate using a dehumidifier

?????

Hives have always partly filled frames. They must have! Tens!

Don't teach a beginner extract 25% water content honey. If makes no sense.

He just took few frames off and asked what to do with them. ...put them back.

 

[Finman]

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Honey in brood frames... I have had so 50 years.

When it is heavy flow, I move most filled honey frames upstairs and give empty combs to the brood area. That because I do not use excluder. That is not method. It is just a style.

That is the idea in Rose Method. No excluder and all frames are brood same size. Bees can make brood where they want. But their instincts say that honey up and brood down, and keep brood area compact.

And when you add empty combs, add them between brood and honey. It fools bees feel that they have not much stores and it prevents swarming.

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