What to do with part-filled super from last season?

[joolsp]

At the end of the season last year I removed a part-filled super from each of my two hives - the honey was mostly/partially uncapped. I have stored these sealed in my shed over winter.
What can I do with these now - will the honey have fermented and therefore it would not be advisable to put back on the hives ? Do i just rip out the comb and put new foundation in?
Thanks

 

[Erichalfbee]

I had one of these last year and put it under the brood box and the bees moved it up. Is it too late to do same so that they use it for food? Hoping the queen would lay in the brood box only and leave the super/under alone?

 

[Hombre]

I had a part box last year like that, I put it back onto the bees interleaved with new foundation. Split between three colonies it should prove to be a good start for them.

It turned out that the colony that got the start from me that way last year was by far my best performer, producing more than 2/3 of my super-honey crop.

I'm sure that if there is any fermentation, you will notice it straight away and if there is any doubt, then let the bees decide. If it isn't good, they will manage to discard it or have a party. With strong colonies, they should be able to take care of it whatever.

 

[For want of a better word]

Hombre,,... did you put the super above or below the brood box?

I am sure many Beeks have the same question... just love the interactivity of this forum!!

 

[Midland Beek]

I would be inclined to super as you would normally do. Fermented foodstores are part of nature and bees normally have little problem dealing with the situation.

 

[peteinwilts]

.... as long as it was removed before an apiguard\thymol treatment

 

[Flatters]

I too had a part filled super at the end of the season so I put it at the bottom of the hive over winter hoping that if stores were needed then they were available. I will remove it in a few weeks when I do my first inspection. The bees were on a double brood so there should be little chance of the queen laying in the super.

 

[Hombre]

I put it above, in the normal way. What you need in the first instance is footfalls in the super so that they become interested in drawing your foundation.

 

[drstitson]

i have discovered a super of stores taken off unused during a rejig at end of water. at least some of it is fermented in the comb. what do people suggest i do with it.

my thoughts were:

1. extract and use the "honey" for homebrew/mead. recycle wax and clean up frames ready for reuse.
2. extract as above and give wet frames back to bees to clean up then reuse as is.
3. extract and heat the syrup/honey to drive off alcohol then use for feed.
4. remove comb and stores from frames and just heat up to retrieve wax and jettison the stores.

 

[keith pierce]

put it outside and let the wasps rob it out. it is good for nothing

 

[luckyclover]

I guess that depends how much honey is fermented. If it's most of it then the sugar has been converted to alcohol so no use to the bees - only work for them. If only a bit then they might be able to use the non-fermented stores.
I wouldn't want to extract as that might taint your equipment and I certainly wouldn't leave it for the wasps anywhere near your apiary!
IMO of course

 

[Mike a]

Do a smell and taste taste first if its tastes off then dissolve it warm water and wash it down the sink, do not throw it away in case other bees find it. If its mostly sealed bruise the cappings and put it above a crown board with holes or feeder board, the bees will think it is outside their hive and move down all of the honey.

 

[drstitson]

haven't unwrapped it yet so not sure if it is just one or several frames that are the culprits.

 

[drstitson]

had a chance to unwrap and investigate the super - most frames are fine. just a couple which had been the original brood area of a brood and a half (not out of choice - swarm housed by someone else on mix of deep and shallow frames so ended up being a brood and a half "nuc" and gently expanded to fill the two boxes) were fermented - due to wax moth which had got in after freezing. will destroy those and saved the clean capped ones for winter supplies.

 

[aseeryl]

I've got a number of part filled frames from last year and this spring in a brood box in the garage. I'd forgotten about them but the bees have sniffed them out and are virtually hammering on the door to get at the honey. The thing is, fermentation apart (smell and taste OK), I understood that it was,perhaps, unwise to leave them out because of the possibility of spreading unwelcome disease eg. nosema. Is this true? I would gladly leave them out so the bees can clean them up and I can reuse them later