Honey Cleanup with out Robbing
Randy Oliver
ScientificBeekeeping.com
First Revealed in ABJ September 2023
I’m typically requested the way to “clear up” the honey in cut-out burr or volunteer combs, spilled honey, sticky extracted combs, or different honey that we’d prefer to recycle again into hives — with out initiating robbing and the potential switch of pathogens.
THE LAW
I’m nicely conscious that many beekeepers simply put combs out to “let the bees clear them up,” however that may provoke robbing all through an apiary if there’s similar-smelling honey within the hives, and extra importantly, unfold pathogens, notably American foulbrood (AFB) [1].
With a purpose to keep away from the transmission of AFB spores through robbing, some (or probably all) states have legal guidelines in opposition to setting out combs containing any honey. In California, for instance:
Article 12. Sanitation
No particular person shall extract or render any honey, pollen, or wax from comb besides in a constructing or enclosure which is so constructed as to stop entry by bees.
No particular person shall possess any comb which isn’t occupied by a reside bee colony except the comb is tightly enclosed to stop entry to the comb by bees.
Any hive or equipment which incorporates any comb that’s not occupied by a reside bee colony and that’s accessible to bees constitutes a public nuisance.
No particular person shall make honey accessible to bees via open air feeding.
Sensible software: Permitting the robbing of honey can transmit disease-causing pathogens not solely in your personal apiary, but in addition to the colonies of neighboring beekeepers. It’s not solely a poor beekeeping follow to permit the robbing of honey, however in your state may very well be in opposition to the legislation.
HOW TO CREATE A “HONEY CLEANUP HIVE”
So how will you “clear up” combs with honey (or soiled honey in a bucket) in a managed method? I exploit a easy double-long backside board to show a single colony right into a “honey cleanup hive” that can clear up combs with out initiating robbing, in addition to restrict publicity to pathogens to that single colony.
I not too long ago had some beekeepers visiting for a discipline class, so we took some images of how I do it.
Fig. 1 Construct an prolonged backside board that may maintain two hives. I exploit plywood for the ground, then staple beeway rails on three sides (I exploit ¾” top, however haven’t tried shallower beeways). Connect a bit of 1×4 throughout the center, with an open beeway underneath it. (There are already bees on this board, since we lifted off the colony to take this photograph.)
Fig. 2 Customer Tamiko Panzella helped me change the robust colony on the entrance place. The open beeway beneath the 1×4 permits mid-age employees from that colony to entry any honey positioned within the rear place. The robust colony supplies a gauntlet of guards on the underside board by which any robbers would wish to go to entry any honey that one locations within the rear part.
Facet view.
Fig. 3 Place an empty deep tremendous within the rear place. Drop in any combs to be cleaned, after which place a decent cowl over the field. Verify to make it possible for there aren’t any gaps that robbers may enter. (We lifted the duvet to take this photograph, whereas comb cleanup was already underway.) The bees within the hive will rapidly get to work eradicating the honey from the combs, and switch it to the combs of their hive in entrance.
Bees from the robust colony in entrance will discover the field behind, and rapidly uncover any honey there (whether or not in combs or in a bucket). For the reason that honey is in “the mistaken place” within the hive cavity, they may take away it and transport it into their hive within the entrance — cleansing and recycling it again into combs.
Tip: I’d not place combs already within the means of being robbed into the cleanup field, since foragers (robbers) from different colonies would have been educated to hunt out the particular scent of that honey. Retailer it for a few weeks till any robbers educated to that scent have died off.
Fig. 4. I lifted out the cleaned combs from the photograph above, handing them to customer Michelle White to substantiate that after two days they had been freed from any honey.
Fig. 5 Combs or spilled honey could be positioned in tubs for cleanup. In case you’re placing in liquid honey, simply sprinkle some straw over it so bees don’t drown throughout cleanup.
Fig. 6 Right here I’m inserting a deep of sticky extracted combs (one body lifted to point out), which the colony will clear up over a few days. Ensure that you present the colony area to retailer the honey.
Sensible software: We frequently have quite a lot of hives within the dwelling yard, and as soon as the honey circulation is over, it’s a ache if we begin robbing by leaving out honey in any kind. Having a “cleanup hive” useful permits us to recycle that honey with out initiating any robbing.
FOOTNOTES
[1] As luck would have it, an acronym generally confused with ABF (the American Beekeeping Federation).
