[Sparkyaclown]

Last year was my first year beekeeping and I had only a single hive which has done very well. They expanded pretty quickly and had plenty of stores built up by late summer. I threw on a super thinking I would get them to draw it out and have a jump start for next year. They did draw it out and store honey in some of the cells but I was feeding them sugar water at the time so the honey they did store in there isn't anything I think I would want for myself and the majority of it was never capped. I pulled that super in the fall and threw the frames in the freezer to insure any possible interlopers were killed off.

This year I am setting up a second hive with bees arriving Friday. I have been unable to borrow an extractor to clean out the honey from the old frames. I was wondering if when I setup the new hive, I could add a queen excluder and set a super on top with those frames and have the new bees feed on it and clean it out? My plan had been to feed it back to the bees anyhow if I had gotten it extruded. I had considered throwing it back on the existing hive but we are in a nectar flow right now and while I am sure they are restocking the brood boxes, I am not sure if they would clean out that super before restocking it. The weather has yet to cooperate with me so I haven't been able to crack that hive open to see what they already have stored. The new brood box has no drawn comb so I don't know if that will screw them up throwing a box with drawn comb on top and my guess is that there is probably only enough honey for a few days so I would still need to leave them sugar water as I would be afraid they would run out of food before I could open the hive again.

 

[Jim Braun]

Sparkyaclown,

Why don't you split the super between the 2 boxes. If you are into your flow already you'll want to put a super on last years colony. Are you getting a package or a nuc? Either way, you may find that your present hive is strong enough to split and you will have a queen and extra workers to use in your split.

Not being able to extract may work in your favor as the bees will keep filling the frames and maybe draw them out more if they need it. If it was only nectar/sugar they will use it up for the new bees and bring in fresh nectar for honey for you.

I'm in mid Missouri and we may hit 70 here. I was going to open my hives up today but we have rain now. I still haven't gone through my boxes yet either, only lifted the inner cover and dropped in a sugar block in February and pollen substitute at the start of March. So I'd say you are right on track.

 

[cconnell]

Sparky, I'm assuming that you super is probably a medium while the brood boxes are deeps? If not--if they're al the same size, JB has some good advice--integrate those frames into the brood boxes, used them to bait the upper brod box, for example, or make a split if you have space and equipment.

However, if they are a medium or shallow super, I think there might be a better way to handle it. I think you're saying you don't want to mix syrup with nectar. I don't know from experience if they'd clean it out first. But a good method could be to open any capped syrup/honey and place the frames about 20 ft or more from the hive, and let the bees just clean the frames out. It'd take a few days, but they'll do it. And they will bring it back and build up the second brood box with it. When it's clean--or clean enough to suit you--you can put it in its proper place.

 

[JWPalmer]

I put out a medium super frame of honey that was left over from last year last night A mouse had found it and opened some cells. Today, total devastation. Most of the wax ended up on the deck and some of the comb was torn all the way down to the plastic foundation. I guess I need to do a little open feeding, girls are "Hangry".

You will be best off putting the super on top of the hive.

 

[Murdock]

I agree with JWP, put the super above the hive. Open feeding can cause a robbing problem.

 

[Sparkyaclown]

Thanks, I elected to go ahead and throw the super on and hope for the best. I definitely am hoping they clean it out as it is not only sugar syrup but nectar from devils walking stick which is actually pretty foul tasting.