[Plannerwgp]

It is the end of our year and all honey has been processed. However, we located about 4 supers filled with good honey on deadout hives. Any recommendations on savings this honey and feeding in the spring? There are a total of 40 frames so freezing is not an option. I could press and squeeze but the bees will no longer clean out the supers so how can they be preserved over the winter?

 

[Cloverdale]

Can you keep one on each hive? I don’t know how many boxes you overwinter with.

 

[LAlldredge]

I keep frames of honey or comb in plastic totes in storage. Partly for emergency feed and partly to preserve comb. You want to keep it away from wax moth damage, mice, ants etc. The super empty boxes I just keep outside in my carport. Cloverdale has a good suggestion about putting them on other hives if it's feasible.

 

[elmer_fud]

I stored several boxes that were a mix of honey and sugar from dead hives last year. I left the boxes on hives until they were well frozen during the winter, then bagged them up (in clear trash bags) and mixed these boxes into hives this fall for winter feed. This seemed to work without any problems (so far)

 

[fieldsofnaturalhoney]

Any recommendations on savings this honey and feeding in the spring? There are a total of 40 frames so freezing is not an option.

If you are going to just feed the frames in the spring, I would just stack them outside on a bottom board with a mice guard and/or #8 hardware cloth (let the Winter be your freezer.). Another ideal is to stack them with a top cover at the bottom and top & use Para moth, again this method would definitely be just for feeding the frames back to the bees.

 

[Gray Goose]

Can you keep one on each hive? I don’t know how many boxes you overwinter with.

+1 I would put 1 each on the hives that were with large populations or with light stores.

BTW I did buy a small freezer a few years ago off season for 149$ so keep an eye out for a scratch and dent one, the frames will not mind.

GG