[JohnBee]

Hello...
I'm in southern Michigan, and fairly new to beekeeping. I read to put extracted frames (in supers) above the top cover for a couple of days to let the bee's clean them up. When I checked after two days, they had started to refill the cells with new honey, which I extracted, and put in a top feeder for them. Is it too early for me to do this? I think we are still in the "goldenrod flow". Thanks.... John.

 

[Michael Bush]

If they are making honey, I wouldn't start feeding them until there is no flow anymore. You might get a lot more honey before they are done.

 

[Kurt Bower]

"...they had started to refill the cells with new honey, which I extracted, and put in a top feeder for them."
You can feed them back their own honey any time you like. It doesnt sound like you plan on keeping the fall flow anyway.
Taking into consideration your location, I would think you would want to start getting your hives ready for winter by doing some supplemental feeding. This will also encourage some late brood rearing which will boost the winter population.
Any time you give back honey or supers you are taking a chance of spreading disease if there is any present.
Make sure if you give back the supers that you isolate them to the hive from which they came. The same with feeding back honey.

 

[JohnBee]

Thank you both for your response. I only have one hive (started two with new packages, but one died "ACK!"), and I am grateful as I harvested about 75lbs of honey. From a newbie hive, and new foundation and all I don't think that's too bad !! I have all of the makings of hive #2 for next spring, so I'm excited about that. I look forward this fall to candle-making, and from my propolis trap making some medicines etc. Such a great hobby... and I only took one sting! (so far) !! LOL!!

John