Feed them the sugar supers.
What to do with all the supers full of sugar syrup
I've had a comb drawing operation going the last few months, and I have some hives with 2-3 supers full of syrup "honey", taste like crap. I have some new splits that don't have any supers full, I'm thinking of taking the extras and placing them on the new splits , and the plan is to have one deep and one super for each one going into winter. Should I extract it all and let them fill it back up with golden rod honey, and save the syrup to feed back to them this fall?, or freeze the frames for later, and let them keep drawing new ones? I'm thinking the flow should start in the next couple weeks, and I can quit feeding them.
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Hmm, so quit feeding the syrup and let them eat what they've stored away, then they can refill it with nectar, and maybe draw some more comb, sounds good. Some of the bigger hives are packed, when I remove two boxes will they want to swarm or anything?
Extracting it and then feeding back later sounds like the whole operation would be a massively time inefficient way of doing things. If you have splits, could these frames of syrup be put in the brood areas and new boxes put on the larger hives for the goldenrod crop?
They are medium frames, I have enough for every colony to have one box , I could put another box on top but wouldn't be many drawn frames.Extracting it and then feeding back later sounds like the whole operation would be a massively time inefficient way of doing things. If you have splits, could these frames of syrup be put in the brood areas and new boxes put on the larger hives for the goldenrod crop?
If you want to try to get some goldenrod honey, you will probably need to extract a few frames. I do not get much of a flow in the fall, certainly not enough to harvest. The bees will stop drawing comb as soon as you stop feeding so you really need to ask yourself what the long term plan is. Comb for next years honey flow, or the chance of getting a few pounds of goldenrod honey?
ditto JW. Also, I don't like to harvest honey off a hive that syrup on them because the bees can and do move the sugar around. When I harvest honey, I want it to be pure honey, not adulterated.
If you have an empty super, I would put it on to keep them busy. If you have a large hive with a full brood chamber and nowhere to store forage they’ll backfill the nest and you risk a late season swarm.Hmm, so quit feeding the syrup and let them eat what they've stored away, then they can refill it with nectar, and maybe draw some more comb, sounds good. Some of the bigger hives are packed, when I remove two boxes will they want to swarm or anything?
Ya, i don't care about the honey, was thinking it might be better for them than the sugar, I want all the comb I can get for next years honey flow, I guess I'll divide up all the boxes and keep them drawing comb.If you want to try to get some goldenrod honey, you will probably need to extract a few frames. I do not get much of a flow in the fall, certainly not enough to harvest. The bees will stop drawing comb as soon as you stop feeding so you really need to ask yourself what the long term plan is. Comb for next years honey flow, or the chance of getting a few pounds of goldenrod honey?
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