can i let bees clean up frames?

[MikeG]

Hello everyone!

Having just extracted by the strain method, can I set a frame near the hive and let the bees clean it up? Let them have a frame or two per day?  I only have one hive and there are no feral bees around that I know of.  There aren't even any trees for 1/2 mile.  Thanks for any advice.  Mike

[WhipCityBeeMan]

I do it but it can attract yellow jackets too.  Ive never had any problems to speak of. 

[johnnybigfish]

Sure, the bees will like it!
I used to put them up on my deck so i could watch them clean it up! At times, there would be hundreds of bees out there!

your friend,
john

[IAFF]

Yes, I do the same.  Place used frames in a five gallon bucket set near the hive.  Might use an entrance reducer on the hive "might" start a robbing war with other bees.

[MikeG]

Thanks for the replies, everyone!  They will be fed - premium honey!

Mike

[MikeG]

I let them clean up 10 frames today.  They were nuts with happiness all day.  BUT, I would guess that about 200 bees died.  They are all over the ground.  Did they over-engorge themselves?

[BEES4U]

Here is an old method of letting the bees clean up the frames.
1 Place the frames in their super after you have extracted the honey.
2 use a circle saw to cut a hole in the center of a piece of plywood. You could use your inner cover that has the oblong hole for the bee escape.
3 At sundown: Super the bees with the wet combs over the plywood with the hole in the center.
4 The bees will enter the super and move most of it down into the frames below within a few hours or more depending on weather and colony strength.
5 The bees have all night to calm down and not be in the robbing frenzy that you do not want.
6 Check the super in a few days to see how the bees cleaned up the honey.
Results;
1. No or little robbing frenzy
2 The comb is not destroyed by robbers
3 Reduces the risk of unneccessary stings from robber bees.
4 Prevents progressive robbing
Good Luck,
Ernie

[MikeG]

Sounds like a great plan.  Thanks!  M

[tillie]

One of the advantages to putting the dripping frames back in a super on the hive is that the bees can redraw the wax and refill the frames.  That happens often when I harvest in mid summer and put the frames back on the hives.  Letting them clean the frames up in a bucket or anywhere not in the hive doesn't allow the immediate reuse of the frames by the bees.

Linda T in Atlanta

PS. the 200 dead bees does sound like there was a struggle out there - you may only have one hive but there may be robbers in the area - someone else's hive or feral bees

[ArmucheeBee]

I put some comb out the other day and they do gorge out and are unable to fly.  I had several on the ground but they were gone the next day.  Their little abdomens were huge.  I would think this happens more commonly during a derth when they are beside themselves to finally find something.  Many hung onto the bucket until the next day also.