I'm sure this has been asked/discussed, but I wasn't able to find a close match searching the archives. So I apologize for possible redundancy.
I had 2 hives dead-out on me, this winter, both with full supers on. Another "weird" winter here. I used OA vapor on the late side last year, and only 3, not 4 weekly treatments. Dead bees were piled up on SBB in all hives (2 dead; 1 live) and lots of head-in in comb in the dead outs. Some honey in the deeps as well. No overt indicators of FB, HB, moths or dysentery. (I did find a couple of dessicated HB on BB of the live hive this week, and fair amount (`30) of what look like last year's mite carapaces - they also seem dried and flaky vs. live drops). Bees are bringing in a couple of species of pollen - though I can't think what besides skunk cabbage and possibly American hazelnut.
Between the 1 live hive (5-6 partial frames brood, 10% capped, lots of eggs) and the 2 dead-outs I probably have 60-80 lb of honey in supers. Should have extracted last fall, looking back. I've stacked 1 full and 1, 3/4 full super on the live hive (on top of its full super) figuring once it warms up they will tend to keep it clean, and/or clean any mold, etc. from the super-supers. Warming and extracting supers from dead outs seems like an opportunity to get some nasty flavors or adjuncts (mold) since the capped comb has not been kept clean by bees (?).
Is this silly? Should I just warm them and extract them? Should I lop some full supers onto the packages I have coming Monday (2) - or would they mix feed syrup with the capped super honey? I suppose there could be a pathogen associated with the capped honey, but not the usual suspects so far as I can tell.
Thanks.
I had 2 hives dead-out on me, this winter, both with full supers on. Another "weird" winter here. I used OA vapor on the late side last year, and only 3, not 4 weekly treatments. Dead bees were piled up on SBB in all hives (2 dead; 1 live) and lots of head-in in comb in the dead outs. Some honey in the deeps as well. No overt indicators of FB, HB, moths or dysentery. (I did find a couple of dessicated HB on BB of the live hive this week, and fair amount (`30) of what look like last year's mite carapaces - they also seem dried and flaky vs. live drops). Bees are bringing in a couple of species of pollen - though I can't think what besides skunk cabbage and possibly American hazelnut.
Between the 1 live hive (5-6 partial frames brood, 10% capped, lots of eggs) and the 2 dead-outs I probably have 60-80 lb of honey in supers. Should have extracted last fall, looking back. I've stacked 1 full and 1, 3/4 full super on the live hive (on top of its full super) figuring once it warms up they will tend to keep it clean, and/or clean any mold, etc. from the super-supers. Warming and extracting supers from dead outs seems like an opportunity to get some nasty flavors or adjuncts (mold) since the capped comb has not been kept clean by bees (?).
Is this silly? Should I just warm them and extract them? Should I lop some full supers onto the packages I have coming Monday (2) - or would they mix feed syrup with the capped super honey? I suppose there could be a pathogen associated with the capped honey, but not the usual suspects so far as I can tell.
Thanks.
