Moving Honey

[tbonekel]

I've read on here from experienced people that bees don't really move honey around, but I saw a video last night from a guy that scratches excess capped honey on some of the brood frames. He seems to think that by doing that, the bees will remove that honey and clean the cells to make ready for eggs. Any value to that? I know I could try and see what happens, but this is my first year and I don't want to mess them up too much.  Youtube videos are a great learning tool, but the more I watch, the more questions that arise from watching people do things that I hear aren't supposed to work.

[bsachris]

That sound to me like a sticky mess - not just for you but for the bees too if honey were to drip down onto other frames or worse yet all over the bees.   I have found in my short experience that the bees do a nice job of cleaning up any cell they think needs an egg in it, without extra incentive. 

[blueblood]

I would just pull the frame and give it to a hive that needs it or freeze it for later and re-install an empty if you starting to get honey bound.  Or, extract it and replace.

[riverbee]

tbone, if you placed the frame above the inner cover and did that, and covered it with an extra box, the bees will move the honey out of it and down.  but, be mindful if you do this of robbing and pests. 

what chris said....and the bees do a nice job of cleaning and polishing w/o extra incentive.
i guess i would also be concerned about open honey and a robbing situation.  i wonder if that beek has ever done that in a dearth, for a weaker colony or the end of a season, if he did he wouldn't do it again......

what are your trying to accomplish tbone, or why are you thinking on trying this? to free up a frame?

[Jen]

So far in my education, I have only seen where honey is scratched when it is capped tight and close to the foundation where the knife was not able to cut off the caps before installing into an extractor. And I've also seen where in the cold months some beeks will scratch and open honey comb to insert into a hungry hive.

[CpnObvious]

Although I wasn't quite as thorough on my first inspections as maybe I should have been... Based on at least one person's advice, when I put the frames of honey I was given into my new package installs I scratched up the caps to encourage them to use it.  Some was definitely used, but I think much was re-capped on my 7th day inspection.  I will look a bit closer next time I go in.

[riverbee]

"I scratched up the caps to encourage them to use it.  Some was definitely used, but I think much was re-capped on my 7th day inspection."

this is not necessary.  some of it was used?  my guess is the bees cleaned up what you scratched open, put it back and re-capped it........so you made your bees do extra work...........

[pistolpete]

I think messing with brood frames is not a good idea.  The less you handle them the better and the bees certainly know how to set up house.   If you feel that the queen needs more room, insert a new frame in the middle of the brood nest.  They'll have it drawn out in a couple of days and that's the frame that will end up edge to edge brood.

[tbonekel]

I think messing with brood frames is not a good idea.  The less you handle them the better and the bees certainly know how to set up house.   If you feel that the queen needs more room, insert a new frame in the middle of the brood nest.  They'll have it drawn out in a couple of days and that's the frame that will end up edge to edge brood.

I'm going to go with that. That's what makes the most sense. I would take one of the outer frames and extract it, then put it back in, but I don't have an extrator and it's foundationless. The only annoying problem with foundationless is that unless it has some age on it, it will tear apart in the extraction. Like you say, and what I have to keep telling myself is that they know what they are doing. I'm just standing by watching their amazing work, helping wherever I can. For the most part, I'm going to leave the brood boxes alone at this point.

[LazyBkpr]

   I will agree with PistolPete, on the condition that your talking about foundation-less frames. Dropping a frame with foundation into the center of the brood nest has caused me more pain than it has given satisfaction.

  I also wanted to say, moving nectar is different than moving honey. Put a frame of nectar where they dont want it and they will move it, rapidly too.

[apisbees]

100% what Pete said. In most cases the bees will jest repair the cappings and reseal the honey Unless it is needed in the hive and they use it because it is already uncapped. If you want to force then to remove it you must contaminate it, scratch the cappings soak the frame in a 5 gal bucket of water so the honey will absorb the water and the moisture content will rise and the bees are then forced to remove and re dehydrate it. But as Blue said why put the bees to all that extra work save it for later.