I am considering trying to make some comb honey this year and was hoping someone could answer a question or two. Does anyone have any experience using the Ross Rounds System? Once the comb sections are filled out, should they be frozen just incase there are any SHB or wax moth eggs present? I know producing a super of comb honey takes a fairly strong hive, but has anyone produced comb and liquid honey from the same hive(s). I only ask this as I also want to replace 3 hives I lost over the winter with my surviving 6 colonies.
Comb Honey Question
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I have not used Ross Round sections but I hear you need a strong flow and a strong hive. I made extracted and comb honey from the same supper last year. In a 10 frame medeum supper I took two frames from the outside edges that they hadn't strarted to draw out yet and removed the plastic foundation, I ran a bead of melted wax along the bottom of the top bar where the foundation would fit and then inserted them in the middle of the supper between drawn/capped frames with a drawn frame between them. The ladies pulled and capped them both just fine. I wouldn't say my hive or the flow was real strong at the time. Jim
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I run one or two frames of comb honey in every super. 8 frames drawn and the middle frame in comb foundation. Once the flow starts, they fill it out nicely every time.
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I am a beginner starting out with one eight frame hive set up. Nuc will be installed mid-May. So far, the weather here in upstate New York has been horrible, cool, and non-stop rain. So who knows how the nectar flow will be?
Would one combine part of a shallow comb set up, like ross roounds, with a medium super frame? I am thinking NO. My honey supers are medium boxes, not shallow. Would it be better to just put a shallow super on top that was totally devoted to comb honey?
Would one combine part of a shallow comb set up, like ross roounds, with a medium super frame? I am thinking NO. My honey supers are medium boxes, not shallow. Would it be better to just put a shallow super on top that was totally devoted to comb honey?
Unless you are very lucky most new hives do not produce much if any surplus honey the first year. Unless you have drawn comb your bees will spend most of their time/energy drawing comb for brood and winter stores. If your hive builds up to the point that you need to super I would not try for a super of comb but a super of drawn foundation that you can use next year and then try for some cut comb/Ross Rounds. Jim
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Thank you for your input!
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here are three articles by Lloyd Spear in the bee
culture archives from 1999 and have posted the links in the order that they
were written and seems to give you most of the information that you would need
from start to finish for cut comb and ross rounds.
http://www.beeculture.com/storycms/i...y&recordID=241
http://www.beeculture.com/storycms/i...y&recordID=242
http://www.beeculture.com/storycms/i...y&recordID=250
culture archives from 1999 and have posted the links in the order that they
were written and seems to give you most of the information that you would need
from start to finish for cut comb and ross rounds.
http://www.beeculture.com/storycms/i...y&recordID=241
http://www.beeculture.com/storycms/i...y&recordID=242
http://www.beeculture.com/storycms/i...y&recordID=250
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None of the links worked for me.
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I'll try them again.
http://www.beeculture.com/storycms/index.cfm?cat=Story&recordID=241
http://www.beeculture.com/storycms/index.cfm?cat=Story&recordID=242
http://www.beeculture.com/storycms/index.cfm?cat=Story&recordID=250
they look identical to the ones b/4 and worked when I just tried them.
http://www.beeculture.com/storycms/index.cfm?cat=Story&recordID=241
http://www.beeculture.com/storycms/index.cfm?cat=Story&recordID=242
http://www.beeculture.com/storycms/index.cfm?cat=Story&recordID=250
they look identical to the ones b/4 and worked when I just tried them.
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Mike, Thank you so much. These links worked! Great information.
Location:
Milan, Illinois
I know this is an old thread, but I don't want to start a new one with the same title...unless I should. Can someone interpret the following passage for me? "If a super of partly finished sections be so given and another one of unsealed sections be placed above a board with a bee hole in it (a super clearer with the “return” open), preferably raised off the board by an empty rack, the bees will quickly empty the top lot and store the honey in the lower rack, thus securing for the bee- keeper quickly cleared combs free from stain for use as baits another year, and quickly finished sections for immediate use".
Location:
Milan, Illinois
to be safest yes freeze the comb honey before selling
yes you "can" produce both from the same hive, I would do the extract super first, then the comb because the lighter clover honey is later in the flow for me.
comb honey is best done by a strong hive so all the cells get filled and capped.
GG
Knoxville- An innercover with a proper oval in it was used with a bee escape(one way valve) to clear supers. It was put under the super, with no upper entrances, usually with a telescoping cover. In a few days, the bees would leave but could not return to the super.
They are suggesting you leave the bee escape out, and space the "rack" (super) up with an empty (no frames) "rack", to give the bees the illusion it is NOT part of their hive. Make sure everything "upstairs" is bee tight - no upper entrance.
Crazy Roland
They are suggesting you leave the bee escape out, and space the "rack" (super) up with an empty (no frames) "rack", to give the bees the illusion it is NOT part of their hive. Make sure everything "upstairs" is bee tight - no upper entrance.
Crazy Roland
Location:
Milan, Illinois
Thanks Roland. So a sheet of plywood with a hole in it, an empty super, then a partially filled super, then the bees will haul the honey down through the bee hole , and store it beneath the ply wood. Is that how it would go?
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