[bigwinemaker]

I am a hobby bee keeper. have 5 hives for about 6 years. Started to use queen sep. this year. Do I take them off this winter so the queen can move over all the frames to eat. Also I always give the hives the old frames to clean off the honey, I place them against the outside. Was wondering if they just eat it or take it in and store it.

 

[tanksbees]

-Yes remove the queen excluder in winter, otherwise the queen might die from being cold when the cluster moves up through the excluder to keep warm.
-Don't leave sugar/honey/etc near the entrance to the hive, it will attract robbers. Either put the frames back in the hive for a few weeks, or put them very far away from the hive.

 

[bigwinemaker]

Thanks, but eat it or store it?

 

[Michael Bush]

When bees clean up honey they do both but mostly the store it. They don't burn any more sugar either way, it just happens to be in their stomach when they need the energy... otherwise they would have burned some nectar or some honey from somewhere else in the hive.

 

[bigwinemaker]

That sounds like something a bee would do, Thanks