Honey back in the comb. How to store frames. Now what???

[juzzerbee]

I am a newbee, so please help. I removed my supers today after leaving the bees clean them out for the last 2 days. The bees chose to VERY quickly start to fill many of the frames up with nectar again. To some extent all 7 of my supers have SOME honey in the frames once again, and some seem to be partly filled and capped. What should I do with these supers at this time in preparation for winter storage? Should I hassle around and try to extract them all again( a lot of work)? Leave what watery honey is in there and not worry about it? Also, what is the BEST way to prevent wax moths from getting in the supers over the winter? I will be storing them in a shed in my backyard.

I bought paramoth last week and was planning on using it but I think I want to stay away from the harshness of a toxic chemical in my honey supers, especially since there is stored honey in them again.

I looked into BT, but I have read that bees sometimes do not touch the comb the following Spring.

I guess at this time I would like the best "chemical free" route that I can take. I was considering just wrapping them up, storing them, and then hoping for no moths next Spring.

I know this topic is already on Beesource.com somewhat but I have not found the answer that fits my scenario. This have been the biggest "bump in the road" for me during my first year of beekeeping and I am trying not to give up on beekeeping (this is the closest that I have been).

Thanks, juzzerbee

[mike haney]

Consolidate the frames with nectar in one box and leave it on the hive
Don't know where you read bees won't use frames with BT, that's utter bilge.

[juzzerbee]

Thanks. I thought that is what I did when I placed them on the hive the first time AFTER I extracted the frames. I kept the inner cover between the 2 deeps and 4 supers on one hive and the inner cover between the 2 deeps and 3 supers on my other hive. I was told that if I had the bees clean the comb out now, versus later in Fall, the bees would probably just "re-store" it back in the same super. Which, I assume is what they did. Since it is about the equivilant of 60 frames all together that have some amount of nectar in them, should I only do 1 super at a time, and/or place it differently on the hive?

I also thought about the idea of just placing the supers with frames in them around my hives and letting the bees search out the honey with hopes they will take it back to the hive and store it in the deeps. If this is an answer to my problem, how far away from my hives should I place them and how should they be stacked/laid out?

What about the cells that seem to have a light capping over them? Will the bees open those up to get the honey out?

Thanks........A LOT anyone!! juzzerbee

[odfrank]

Stack them far from your hives and let them get robbed out.

[juzzerbee]

How should they be stacked? 4 or 5 on top of each other? Staggered? With or without a telescoping cover on them? How far away from my hives, miles, yards????? I am pleased to hear there is a more simple way of getting the honey out, than having to extract again. Should i worry about wax moths finding the frames though? How long will they rob out the frames? Should I just keep checking each day until they are empty? Thanks a lot, juzzerbee

[seyc]

I would put them out with as much access as possible (lots of room so they are not fighting over it). Like just the box and frames on a deck railing (access from the top and bottom). Let them rob and then, once they are clean, store them. Wax moths do not like light, and bees do not forage at night so, seal them up at dusk and open them back up when the sun rises again (also, another reason to leave them without a cover during the day).

[juzzerbee]

Excellent, thanks. How far from my hives is a safe distance to place the supers? I live about 2.5 miles from my hives. Should I place them near my house and wait for ANY bees or should I place them close to my hives in hopes my bees will find the supers very easily? I plan on keeping an eye on my hives for any robbing that might occur there. Thanks, juzzerbee