What to do with this super?

[cork beek]

Hi all,

Last autumn, after i took some honey off, I put an empty super on my strongest hive and feed sugar syrup for their winter stores.

On checking a few weeks later the super was full of capped 'honey'. I was treating for varroa at the time with bayvarol and there's probably ivy honey mixed in aswell.

I left the full super on for the bees to have plenty of stores.

On checking today, the super still has 6 / 7 frames of honey left in it but im not sure what to do with it. There may be some chemical residue from the treatment / ivy honey left in the honey.

I obviously don’t fancy leaving it on and as the season progresses putting on more and more supers and taking a risk that this honey will get mixed with the good stuff that will be collected from now on.

I also don’t want to take it off in case they may need it as the weather still isn’t the best.

Ive been told that if I put the super under the brood box then the bees will take it up to the BB. Is this true?

I’d appreciate it if anyone has any other suggestion what I can do with this super.

Thanks

Kevin

 

[oliver90owner]

Ive been told that if I put the super under the brood box then the bees will take it up to the BB. Is this true?

It is, but will that solve your problem? Presumably you intend to remove the super when emptied? How does that fit in with brood box space? They would, of course take it up to a honey super, should you give them one before it is used up.

 

[Rosti]

Stacking below the brood chamber runs the risk that they'll re-stock as quick as the empty.

You could apply a variant on demaree (yes I know there is no brood involved!). Whether you'd get away with it right now given night temperatures (since you'll vastly increase the size of the hive to keep warm) is another matter.

Stack a completely empty super on top of the QE (no frames - just a void), then put on a crown with the feeding hole open, then put the super you want emptying with cappings very heavily bruised and sprayed with some light sugar water for good measure, second closed crown, your winter insulation layer, roof.

With a bit of luck they'll utilise the source bringing it back to the brood nest, clearing for you as they do it. Should be able to then bring the drawn super comb back into honey storage use.

 

[cork beek]

It is, but will that solve your problem? Presumably you intend to remove the super when emptied? How does that fit in with brood box space? They would, of course take it up to a honey super, should you give them one before it is used up.

Yes, id take the empty super off. they have a few frames in the BB to fill out before they become congested so i would be ok for the next while.

I was thinking the same about them simply moving the honey from one super to another which is why i was thinking that i could either put a frame or 2 into the BB with foundation for them to draw out using up some stores to do so.

or

take the frames and use them in bait hives

 

[cork beek]

You could apply a variant on demaree

Never even heard of this method ( this is my second year beekeeping ) so will read up on it!

Thanks

 

[Erichalfbee]

Why don't you just keep them to feed in the autumn.
Pop the super under for the bees to move the stores up into the brood box as the nest is contracting for the winter.
You can leave the empty frames under till first inspection in the spring...

NO
They'll just be robbed out and it's a good way to spread disease.
Bait boxes need an old brood frame not stores

 

[cork beek]

Why don't you just keep them to feed in the autumn.
Pop the super under for the bees to move the stores up into the brood box as the nest is contracting for the winter.
You can leave the empty frames under till first inspection in the spring...

That might be the best option at this stage, at least they wont have much gathering to do in autumn! lol