[dalestheman]

Just did my first cut-out. Actually it was a trap out turned cut-out. I got quite a bit of honey. I was able to keep a lot of it clean and I feel comfortable keeping it for personal use. However any comb that came in contact with sawdust or insulation I kept out. I am wondering if I go ahead and filter it really well, will it be ok to feed back to the bees? Because it started as a trap out the bees have already been re-hived and don't really need the honey now, but I was thinking maybe I could feed it back to them in the winter.

 

[enjambres]

In my experience from my cut-outs last summer feeding out-of-comb honey created huge problems.

Open-feeding created honey-riots and masses of honey-drunk and drowned bees. And even trying to contain open honey within a hive in various ways wasn't satisfactory.

I suppose you could cream it into a semi-solid and and feed blobs of it on the bars in the winter but then they'd need extra moisture to use it, I think. I recently spilled about a gallon of honey left over from the cut-out, and my first thought was, "good, now I can justify dumping it" (composting it, actually). Seems an awful waste but oddly enough feeding bees their own honey once it's out of the cells is more trouble than it's worth, I think. If it was still in the combs you could do as I have with literally hundreds of pounds of it: freeze it for now, then feed chunks of thawed comb back during the fall and winter by placing them on top of the bars within an Imrie-type shim. This does lead to messy comb development on top which can take some effort to rectify, but at least they will capture and use the honey.

And in my case (new swarms to long-used in-wall cavities from which the previous occupants suddenly, and inexplicably, disappeared) I was and remain wary about offering them honey that might contain disease problems. If I liked or used honey in my kitchen, I would have saved it for myself. But since I don't have any need for honey, either the bees get it or the worms do.

If you have already extracted the honey, my advice would be use it yourself, or dump it. Wet combs will be cleaned up readily and you can save and clean the wax for other purposes.

Enj.

 

[waynesgarden]

Some info is missing here. Did you extract all the l honey? If not, wire the honey comb into frames and give it back to the cutout bees for winter stores. Don't extract it and then try to feed back.

Wayne

 

[tomkat]

I have always crushed and strained cut out honey.

 

[Mr.Beeman]

Bees will readily accept the additional honey and bring it back to the hive. If it is still frameable, I band it into frames and place them into a super. Then the super is placed a minimum of 50 yards from the hives. The bees get along enough to clean it up within a few days. The bees do get a little excited during the clean up though. Inspections should be put off a few days after the final clean up.
Sawdust and insulation won't bother the bees.

 

[Michael Bush]

It depends on the circumstances how sure you can be it wasn't sprayed and how clean you can keep it when doing the work. I don't want honey with plaster dust, or sawdust in it, so that can be fed to the bees to cleanup. If I suspect it was sprayed, I would dispose of it where the bees can't get it.

 

[dalestheman]

Positive that it was not sprayed. Homeowner's were content to leave the bees alone but for the fact that they started getting aggressive. They are fine now that they have been re-queened.

 

[dalestheman]

Thanks for all the input. I think I will attempt to put what comb I can into frames. Most of it is broken up too small, so I guess I will extract that honey & try to find a way to feed it back. Might try my mason jar feeder & see if that works.

 

[Michael Bush]

I would not attempt to save any of the honey. It's too messy (sticky bees don't do that well) and too heavy. I would try to get at least some open brood and eggs and some emerging brood, but often trying to salvage too much leads to being overtaken by pests (wax moths, small hive beetles, ants, etc.). Make sure there are enough bees to cover all the comb you salvage. If there are not, then scrap more of it. Go for the big pieces. Skip the little ones.

 

[marshmasterpat]

I have a large plastic tote that I made a wooden frame that sits inside around the top. I can place 9 medium frames inside the wooden frame and it keeps the bottom of the frames about 2 inches above the bottom of the tote.

When doing a cut out, I cut pieces of comb (capped and honey filled) that are large enough to fill top to bottom in a medium frame. I rubber band these up, then place them into the plastic tote and close the lid. I let them drip clean over about 2 days inside the plastic tote and I can now place them into a hive. It might not be the hive I cut if out from, but try to place in hives that are short. Within 2 days the bees have that comb attached to the frame and they use it for whatever they need.

Small chunks I place in the bottom of the plastic tote and crush if for the honey. I also have a refrig that I can place the tote in to keep the honey for an extended period. But I have only done 6 cut outs and had bees less than a year, so you getting advice from newbie, so take if for what it is worth.

 

[steveo]

I keep nice clean stuff for personal consumption. Then put the intact stuff rubberbanded into frames. Everything else I put in a bucket and then dump it out when I get home for all hives to rob out. Once that is done the comb goes into solar melter.

 

[Quill]

I'm interested in more info about your plastic tote system as I was thinking of trying something along those lines.
What are the dimensions of the tote you are using?
Could you possibly post a couple pix of the arrangement?
Thanks!