[standman]

I recently made up four nucs with queen cells I found in one of my hives. I did not have a lot of resources (brood, pollen, and honey), but they all seem to be doing well.
I have some frames of honey from a dead-out last fall (mites, no disease) that I would like to give them. Problem is, the frames are only about 10% capped, and there is a slight but definite smell of some fermentation happening in these frames.
Question is: can the nucs handle these frames in their current condition? Will the smell repel them? Or, on the other hand, will the smell encourage other hives to rob them out?
All opinions are welcomed.

 

[dtompsett]

When our local inspector came by the other day, I mentioned that I was sealing off some old equipment because of old fermented honey.

His response was "Why bother... the bees will use it and make it into good honey for themselves; and if it's really bad, they won't touch it. They are smarter than you think you know..."

So... why not?

Perhaps you don't want to put it right in the hive, but instead put it out in a communal feeder that all the hives can access? Otherwise pull a frame from the nuc and put it in.

 

[Countryboy]

Stick the frames of honey in the hive and don't worry about it.

I've sprayed frames full of syrup and had them sitting around before getting them put on hives. The syrup started smelling a little fermented, and some of last year's pollen in the frames started molding. The bees took care of the frames just fine.