Feeding Bees Old Honey

[Cossack]

     I have recently located 7 (5 gallon) buckets that were all filled with local honey from the bees that I have taken over. I am not sure how many years old the honey is. It looks to be crystallized but in good condition. The buckets were tucked behind a blanket in an old trailer on the Farm.

My question is - Can I feed it back to my bees and they recycle it????????????????

If I can feed it back to them what would be the best way to feed it back to them. I was thinking of a Baking sheet with the old honey on it.


Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Michael Bush]

You can.  The only real issues are if there are AFB spores in it, which I doubt, but it's possible.  And that the HMF http://www.bushfarms.com/beesglossary.htm (Hydroxymethyl furfural) increases over time and this is, at high levels, poisonous to the bees.  If it's not too dark (an indication of HMF but also an indication of certain kinds of honey) then the HMF is probably pretty low.

Me, I'd probably feed it just as it is in frame feeders.

[applebwoi]

I've never fed old honey and Michael's comments about the possible dangers should be weighed against the perceived benefits. I have fed my own honey to hives and I just used some 8" saucers (for keeping plants from dripping on the floor) that I bought from the nursery and added the honey to that and put in some sticks for the bees to crawl in on. I put these directly on the top frames in the hive with a spacer similar to what I use in the winter when I put sugar on the hives. The bees eat it up quickly.  It has worked well for me, but with as much honey as you have this method might be too much hassle.

[riverrat]

free is nice but not knowing the total history of the honey I would stay away from it. Sugar is cheaper than replacing bees and equipment.

[nella]

If you would like to feed the honey, feed it to the weakest hive by putting an empty super on top of the inner cover and use a freezer baggie to put the honey in, lay the baggie on top of the inner cover and cut a x in it. If it works then feed the bees during a dearth period or when necessary.

[Scadsobees]

If it is from the bees you took over, then there shouldn't be an issue with it.

You can recycle it, or you can also use it for extra feed over the winter...a few ice cream scoops of it on a piece of newspaper over the hive in the winter can save them.

Rick

[Cossack]

Thanks for the comments all.

;)