Worldwide Beekeeping

Beekeeping => General Beekeeping => Topic started by: crazy8days on March 16, 2015, 05:21:29 pm

Title: dead hives with lots of honey
Post by: crazy8days on March 16, 2015, 05:21:29 pm
I've lost 8 of 11 hives this winter. I have many frames of full capped honey that is starting to ooze out.  My remaining hives have plenty stores.  I will be may/june before my nucs will arrive. What should I do with all this honey?  Extract it? 
Title: Re: dead hives with lots of honey
Post by: Ray on March 16, 2015, 06:53:40 pm
You can freeze it. I put 2 hive bodies full of honey in my chest freezer.
Title: Re: dead hives with lots of honey
Post by: Bakersdozen on March 16, 2015, 09:04:34 pm
If you are certain your hives didn't died from disease, freeze it, or store it with moth crystals temporarily.  Save that honey for your nucs when you move them into 10 frame hive bodies.  What a jump start!  That's money in the bank.  They will be ready for a nectar flow.
Title: Re: dead hives with lots of honey
Post by: Jen on March 16, 2015, 09:08:24 pm
Awwwe Crazy, I'm sorry to hear that  :sad:  I do like the fact that you can feed back honey and not syrup  ;D
Title: Re: dead hives with lots of honey
Post by: riverbee on March 16, 2015, 09:36:36 pm
crazy, like ray and bakers said, freeze it or store it (storage in a cool place) and protected. you can use these frames to feed back to them or jump start any new colonies/your nucs, or even utilize later on as feeder frames. IMHO i would be hesitant though to store any capped honey frames with moth crystals.

jen syrup is not a bad thing........ ;D
Title: Re: dead hives with lots of honey
Post by: Riverrat on March 16, 2015, 10:05:23 pm
Sorry to hear about the heavy losses.  What do you think was the cause?
Title: Re: dead hives with lots of honey
Post by: camero7 on March 17, 2015, 09:01:01 am
crazy, like ray and bakers said, freeze it or store it (storage in a cool place) and protected. you can use these frames to feed back to them or jump start any new colonies/your nucs, or even utilize later on as feeder frames. IMHO i would be hesitant though to store any capped honey frames with moth crystals.

jen syrup is not a bad thing........ ;D

I agree with all of this. If you're worried about wax moths you can lightly spray with acetic acid. It will also kill nosema spores.