Feeding uncapped honey to new colony

[EmiKami]

Hello. I lost one hive last fall from mites. I kept the capped honey in garage for later use. I am getting a new colony this spring and I would like to know how to effectively feed honey to the new colony. Where would I place them? I read somewhere that I should uncapped the honey. Should I feed my new colony honey instead of sugar water? Can I continue to do this until I run out of honey? I would like to use these honey up since they were not for human consumption (I treated them with Pro Health). Please advise me how to use these excess honey to help build up new colony.
Thanks!

[apis maximus]

I would feed my colony honey instead of sugar water... if given the chance....
Place the honey frame(s) in close proximity to the cluster, say either on each side of it...or even above it if your new colony will need another box on top. As for uncapping it, if the bees need to consume it, they will, capped or uncapped. Personally, I always scrape/scratch some lines in the honey frame so that way they get enticed to it. What I noticed is that if they are "hungry", they will continue to eat and uncap...if not, they eat some and seal the rest.
The way your new hive will consume the honey you give them, will also depend on your local nectar flow.

[Michael Bush]

I would just give them the honey. I wouldn't uncap it as I don't want to set off robbing. They will uncap if they need it.

[apis maximus]

I wouldn't uncap it as I don't want to set off robbing.

Mr. Bush, do you see any situations when uncapping a frame of honey offered as reserves to a hive in need, does not set off robbing?
And to add further context to the question, I am referring to situations when more than one hive is present in the bee yard, not just one hive isolated from other bee colonies.

In my limited experience, in the location where I am at, sometimes in January-February, when maples are starting, so there is some flow going on, when I offered uncapped frames I do not observe robbing at all.

Now when I say uncapped, I basically take the hive tool and make 2-3 scratch lines in the cappings, and set the frame right next to, or above the cluster needing it. And also, I do this only for smaller clusters, that have frames of honey in the hive, but cannot/would not reach them...
For larger, stronger hives, if I have frames of honey that I keep in storage, I give it to them without uncapping.

Initially, I was thinking that being a smaller/weaker hive, adding a frame of honey that has some honey dripping on its surface, might indeed trigger robbing. But, for some reason the stronger hives are out foraging, not interested in the smaller/weaker hive that just got a boost of uncapped honey.
I also tried honey in a zipper bag with a cut in it, set right by, or above the cluster, and again, at this time of the year, no robbing.

Coming summer/late fall though, ...robbing would certainly be triggered...capped or uncapped frame of honey.

Thanks!

[Michael Bush]

>Mr. Bush, do you see any situations when uncapping a frame of honey offered as reserves to a hive in need, does not set off robbing?

If the colony is strong enough and the entrance small enough you can usually get away with it. I just don't like the odds of "usually" when I could leave it capped and reduce the odds even more.

>And to add further context to the question, I am referring to situations when more than one hive is present in the bee yard, not just one hive isolated from other bee colonies.

I've never seen one hive isolated from other bee colonies. There are always feral bees around.

>In my limited experience, in the location where I am at, sometimes in January-February, when maples are starting, so there is some flow going on, when I offered uncapped frames I do not observe robbing at all.

If you manage things well, you can often avoid robbing. But managing things to avoid robbing is always a matter of stacking the odds. The more you stack the odds in favor or no robbing the better...

>Now when I say uncapped, I basically take the hive tool and make 2-3 scratch lines in the cappings, and set the frame right next to, or above the cluster needing it.

This does encourage them to move it and use it more.