[elmer_fud]

I usually let the wax sit in the strainer for a few days. I cover it with plastic wrap to keep the bugs away.

After this I melt the was in the oven at 170ish for a few hours, the wax melts and floats to the top, and the remaining honey is below. This is usually called bakers honey because it looses some flavor getting baked, but it works well for bread and other stuff.

The bees will clean up or refill the frames that you returned depending on the flow. As long as the hive is in decent shape (10+ frames of bees) you should not have any problems with bugs.

 

[elmer_fud]

Rather than trying to get as much honey as possible, I'm fine leaving some for the bees, but I'm not exactly sure how to deliver it back to them. I have a couple of much smaller hives and one is very weak that could use some honey.

I think the easiest way may be to dissolve the honey about 2:1 honey : water and put it in a feeder.