Old Honey Supers

[Bob D]

We just purchased some used equipment (20 Frame Extractor, Bottling equipment, etc) and the man who sold it had 5 Honey Supers in his celler that he threw in. All were full of honey.

My problem and questions are: This man had a heart attach and stopped beekeeping 4 years ago. These honey supers full of honey sat in his celler for 4 years.

a) Is this honey any good? If not, can we set the full frames in front of our current hive in the Spring and let the bees take and reprocess the honey?

b) It looks like there were a few ants and maybe flys on the old, full honey supers. Does this mean the honey is contaminated and can't be used or can carry diease to my bees if they take it to reprocess it?

c) Are these 4 year old Honey Supers, Honey, Frames, Wax any good at all?

Last but not least, the 20 Frame extractor and Bottling equipment has a little old honey inside and on the walls. What is the best way to clean this out and what do you use to clean it?

Thanks for your support.

Bob D

[Aspera]

Bob,

I'll share my universal solution to such problems. You are forced to make and consume vast quantities of mead. Too bad for your liver.

[Michael Bush]

>a) Is this honey any good?

It won't hurt you at all, and, in my experience, if it's not contaminated with AFB spores, it wouldn't hurt to feed it to the bees in the spring. I'd be hesitant this fall becuase of all of the unknown factors and possibly causing dysentary. Some people think old honey is poisonous to the bees. I have not seen this.

>b) It looks like there were a few ants and maybe flys on the old, full honey supers. Does this mean the honey is contaminated and can't be used or can carry diease to my bees if they take it to reprocess it?

The ants and flys don't mean anything. AFB is the only disease I'd be real worried about and it is irelevant to age or insects.

>c) Are these 4 year old Honey Supers, Honey, Frames, Wax any good at all?

Sure. You can cut the combs out and reuse the frames. You can crush and strain if it's still liquid.

>Last but not least, the 20 Frame extractor and Bottling equipment has a little old honey inside and on the walls. What is the best way to clean this out and what do you use to clean it?

Boiling water would be my choice.

[Robert Hawkins]

I would bee hesitant to sell my customers four year old honey. Not because it's bad for them. But just because it seems unethical. No way would I tell them so I'd keep it for personal consumption like Aspera was trying to say. I don't drink so it wouldn't bee mead, but I might figure something out. I Know!!! Christmas presents tothe in-laws.
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Hawk