Beesource Beekeeping Forums banner

What would you do with it?

5K views 28 replies 13 participants last post by  Robert Hawkins 
#1 ·
I have about three gallons of really crummy honey. Don't know why. It was the last three gallons off the strawberry field hives. It was capped, but it's very watery (I don't have a refractometer, but I know watery when I see it) and doesn't taste all that good. What would you do with it? If I feed it back to the bees, do I feed it full strength? Can I freeze it so it doesn't crystallize? Should I make mead? Ideas, please!
 
#9 ·
>Lets not get all anecdoatal about the most common method of spreading foulbrood!

If it's my honey and none of my hives have (or every have had) foulbrood. Why wouldn't I feed it?

If you have some hives with AFB you shouldn't be feeding it and you have bigger problems that deciding to feed it or not.
 
#10 ·
Thanks for the varying opinions, guys. I just did an inspection of all eight hives yesterday. They're booming with good brood patterns, good stores and an upcoming goldenrod flow. The weather here has turned perfect in the past few days and I've never seen a happier, healthier bunch of bees. I use no chemicals in my hives and there are no other bees within a ten-mile radius of my place (unless there's some ferals I don't know about). Maybe it's a foolish newbie attitude (this is my third year), and I've only seen it in the classroom, but I'm not really worried about foulbrood. I think I'll hold onto it for now and field feed when the need arises. Thanks, Tim, for answering my question about freezing. If I freeze it in gallon increments, they'll probably put it away so fast, I won't have to worry about it crystallizing. They cleaned out six extracted supers in a half day!
 
#11 ·
Tia:
When you extracted how much of the frames were capped? Watery and crummy tasting sounds like raw honey. I would feed it back as soon as possible it could have a tendency to ferment. There is nothing more embarrassing than having someone you sold honey tell you that there honey fermented. I check all my extracted honey with a refractometer, it is a good investment.
 
#16 ·
Michael, if you took the time read the other post I think I stated it quite clearly. In light of that information and the fact infected honey is one of the 2 main sources of AFB transmission the real question is why would you reccomend someone with less experiance than yourself, who may pick up foulbrood infection with 5 infected larvae, to feed back honey that may be AFB or put it out to infect surrounding colonies.
 
#17 ·
>the real question is why would you reccomend someone with less experiance than yourself, who may pick up foulbrood infection with 5 infected larvae, to feed back honey that may be AFB or put it out to infect surrounding colonies.

I must be missing something. What are the "5 infected larvae"?

If, as you say, all honey has AFB spores in it, then all hives already have AFB spores in them, in which case what are you exposing them to that they are not already exposed to?
 
#18 ·
Michael, I'm assuming you did not read or see that Tia posted and identical post. It is not an issue of AFB spores in honey, we know that's the case, it's the amount of AFB spores and the danger of infection to everyone even if a there is minor infection. Living in one of the area's that had a large outbreak 4-5 yrs ago due to TM resistance has changed my opinion 180 degrees. I did not say all hives have spores, Dr. Shiminoko,then at Beltsville stated that in his ABF lecture on disease at the 1997 national convention in Norfolk, which I attended. In light of the fact we have 3000 beekeepers on this post in all parts of the country the imact of feeding infected honey by many well meaning but inexperainced beekeepers could be significant.


posted September 04, 2005 10:37 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here's some food for though about feeding honey back to bees.

A study was done *(Van Eaton) placing wet honey supers from hives showing only 4 or 5 infected larvae (easily missed in an inspection even by an experianced beekeeper) in an apirary of 40 hives. No brood in the honey supers, just honey after extracting. 20 got the wet supers off the very negligibley infected hives, 20 did not. Within 2 days ALL 40 hives tested positive for AFB spores (despite no obvious robbing) and 45% of colonies receiving infected supers developed active AFB infections.

Now I believe there are a few on this post that would identify foulbrood in a hive with 5 infected larvae. I'm absolutly sure most would not until infection became much more obvious.

So if you are really experianced, positive you know what you are doing and have really checked, feed honey. If not you are rolling the dice. Foulbrood is not the rare player of the sulpha and pre-TM resitance days. I've helped clean out and burn 2 yards this year with folks who thought they new what they were doing. It was a very painful experiance for them to watch their money and efforts go up in flames.(both attended the master beekeeper course at Cornell and had seen active AFB). This is one area we need not be cavalier about and say because I have done it and not gotten infection it is safe!
 
#19 ·
I know of very few beekeepers who actually keep track of what super came from what hive. I know of no beekeepers who don't give the wet supers back to the hives to clean up. How is feeding green honey back any different?

Feeding you own honey back to your own hives has been (and still is) common practice for centuries. Feeding honey from unknown sources has been recognized as dangerous since at least the late 1800's.
 
#20 ·
Joel, these posts don't sound like you. I'm almost attempted to ask for ID to prove it is you. You are sounding like the birdflu people. It's commonly known as overkill. The amount of honey that would be wasted, compared to the danger is a very easy ansewr in my opinion. The reward far outweighs the risk.
That, of course, is feeding your own honey back. FEEDING OTHER'S HONEY IS DEFINITELY A NO-NO.
 
#21 ·
Idee,the bird flu (figuratively speaking)hit hard here. I may be suffering from post foulbrood attack syndrome. We had a beekeeper in our area who had 80 hives melt down with foulbrood(due to his own severe neglect and infected equipment which I advised him against using after he bought it from another local beekeper with a meltdown). We cleaned up his yard (with his permission) as he would not. The state inspector literally burned the local hobby bee club out of existance in 2000-2001. I have to be vigilant about who I'm near because we have much to loose should we get the bug. Are we an isolated situation? I look at the trachael mite problem, varroa mites and say, wow did they ever spread, then SHB and AHB - did they ever spread. Add to that no contol. I have great concerns about those with less experiance (many on this post) putting out 60 or 100 lbs of green (unknowingly infected) honey (vs a lb in a wet super) for mine and others bees to rob out, given the current atmosphere. I appreciate your thoughts.

As a side note Michael, Jim keeps track of what supers come off what hives!! (I know, don't say it)
 
#22 ·
Joel, how do you argue with someone you know is right? I agree with what you say, just not with the power with which you say it. I normally don't buy hives, but I bought 2 this year from an old, well known, trusted queen breeder. BIG MISTAKE.
One, no queen. Both with SHB. I have never had an SHB. If I get this mess straightened out, I will NEVER bring a hive into my yard again without quarranteening it MILES away first. Still, I don't think feeding in an established yard that has been there for some time is all that dangerous.
As before stated, Never use another man's honey. It's VERY dangerous. :D

But the above post sounds more like the REAL Joel.
Let's keep him. ;)
 
#24 ·
> But he's actually the only beekeeper
> I know of who does.

There have to be others, they are simply
likely to be the larger operations.

Some guys have bar codes on their supers, for Pete's
sake. I don't think that they are just doing
woodenware inventory tracking.

The payback is simple - varietal honey sells for
more than generic, and to sell varietal honey
(at least in Virginia) you have to be able to
"prove" which honey came from where when, or
you are left with no justification for your
label, and a potential fine from the state
food guys. Regardless, it is the law, and
one cannot pick and choose which laws one
will obey.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top