[Arici]

Hi all!

My father and I are new to the beekeeping game. After having bees for several years, they unfortunately did not survive our cold NW winter.

We cracked open our homemade Warre hive to find a lot of honey, but with a good portion seemingly tainted (maybe by wax moths?). Is there any way to save this honey (e.g. through filtering, freezing, etc.) or is it spoiled? We are eager to capture the honey, but do not want to sicken ourselves. Forgive our ignorance--as I said, we are new to this. Any information--on the problem and the solution--would be much appreciated.

Please see the following photos:

 

[Arici]

Wasps had also found their way into the hive. Perhaps that's relevant.

 

[Akademee]

You can save the honey by putting it in the freezer, but I would not eat it. Its got all sorts of nasty wax moth exudates and poop in it now. I would freeze it and feed it back to your new bees next spring.

 

[GregV]

You should have harvested the honey first thing in the spring - would be a perfect honey crop.
Why waited so long, knowing the bees died?
The honey is not toxic in any way, BUT having the moth larva poop all over the place it feels icky to consume it now.

Freeze it temporarily or permanently (to kill of the pests), place into pest-proof tare, keep for your new bees.