Joined
·
118 Posts
I am in a strange situation. I have two strong hives now after helping the weaker one with some brood. I stopped feeding them a few weeks ago because they have filled the top deep with nectar. I also added a honey super to the strongest of the two hives becasue I felt they needed more room. I did not have another deep so I used what I had. I was not expecting them to fill the honey super but this weekend I did an inspection and and it is 3/4 full of honey. It is beautiful. I was not expecting much honey my first year but if they can fill that super in the conditions we are currently in how many can they fill when the flow is back on? I guess they are on the clover that is still around. My problem is I do not really have the money for all the equipment needed for extraction and bottling. I am going to look into using the extractor from our club but I still need the rest of the equipment. We have had a lot of extra expenses this year with the new house and it is going to be tough getting what is needed for bottling the honey. What can I do with the honey supers if there are any full ones? Can I leave them on the hive for the bees over winter? I would not think so since I have heard of bees starving when honey was only a few frames away. Can the full frames be kept until later when I can afford to purchase what I need?