Uncapped frames

[Michigan Hobby]

Was wondering what large scale beekeepers do when the pull supers and they find uncapped frames. What do they do with those? Put them back on hives or just spin and move on?

[suttonbeeman]

read my post in thread (thin honey")

[alpha6]

They get harvested...but then, we are in a very dry climate and don't have the problems with humidity like many areas.

[Gregg]

Like alpha said, run'em through....

[JohnK and Sheri]

It depends on the proportion of capped and uncapped. I assume your area can be high humidity such as we see here in Wisconsin normally (not this year!). We pull many boxes and run them at one time so even a few boxes of totally uncapped honey would not make much difference; if we have any question as to the moisture we check with the refractometer. If doing small batches at a time it could make a difference in the moisture count if they are mostly uncapped. Be careful. All your hard work will be for naught if that honey ferments.
Sheri

[Allen Martens]

Keeping them in the hot room for a few days at very low humidity and lots of air movement will help lower the moisture level in the honey. Some operation have honey driers that will drop the moisture level of the honey very quickly.

[Grant]

It's a judgment call with me. If one side is fully capped and the other has open cells no bigger than my outstretched hand, then I extract them.

If both sides have open cells larger than my open hand, they go back into another super that will be placed on a hive just outside the honey house.

I also tend to harvest smaller lots and return supers to a bee yard to be cleaned up and refilled if more of the season is still a possibility.

Grant
Jackson, MO