Dead Hives(2), is Honey safe?

[Seanc]

This past weekend we checked our hives and found both dead. Both hives had plenty of honey stores in fact one had an entire medium super untouched. As a rule of thumb is the honey safe?

[EastSideBuzz]

So why did they die? If it was weather, weak queen, moisture, cold, mites then probably use it for your other hives. If it was a disease then would not use it for other hives.

[Rader Sidetrack]

If you mean is the honey safe for humans to eat, yes, almost certainly. Of course, if someone sprayed your hives with something like Raid, well, that would be enough for me to not use that honey.

If you want to preserve those combs and honey for a new try with live bees, freezing the comb (in a freezer) is one option.

[chrisd4421]

I personally would freeze the honey while I tried to ascertain the reason for the death. Once I knew, then I would/could allow myself to indulge if that is your wish. Without the reason, you dont know if the hive was contaminated in some way. If you can get a sample of the dead bees and send them to the Maryland Bee Lab for analysis.

Chris in NJ

[jdmidwest]

Interesting question. Can bees pass anything along to humans in the honey stores??

There is always talk about the purity of honey, it has been found and eaten in Eqyptian tombs, it lasts forever. But I sense some doubt when it comes from a hive that was found dead.

And why freeze it? Freezing will not kill most pathogens. May kill a few wax moths.

[odfrank]

I have never frozen a comb in over 40 years of beekeeping.

[Cleo C. Hogan Jr]

The main concern with honey for human consumption would be how long it had been unprotected. That is, have mice, roaches, other vermins, been in the hive, after the deadout occured.

I don't make it a habit of eating honey from a deadout. I don't like eating honey where mice and roaches have been. If I don't think it was disease, I save it to give to feed other hives or give to weak hives the next year.

Odfrank... I have never frozen a comb either.

cchoganjr

[RiodeLobo]

I am eating some of the honey from my dead outs, but I know what finished them off (mites and a prolonged cold spell) and they died well after freezing temperatures came around so I have no worries about vermin in the hive. The rest I am saving to give my splits and replacement colonies a boost.