Bees will not clean up dripping honey supers

annette · August 23, 2011, 12:11:59 AM

So as many have seen, I posted photos of some honey I extracted a few days ago. I placed the dripping super and many utensils and drippy pans I used all around this tree that is about 50 feet from 4 hives, in the hopes they would clean it all up. The bees have not touched any of it even though I have seen the occasional bee circling around. What gives??

Let me know if I am correct:

The bees have been bringing in star thistle honey and socking it away really good these past few weeks. The star thistle is still blooming and the bees are still on it.

Is this the reason they have ignored the drippy honey? Better nectar source?

I am stunned by this having never seen anything like this before.

Thanks for your input

Annette

Michael Bush · August 23, 2011, 12:46:32 AM

You must have a good flow...

schawee · August 23, 2011, 12:49:58 AM

annette,i have seen the same thing and noticed they won't touch it when there is a flow going on.i have put crushed comb out for them to clean and they were on it in 15min.within an hour you couldn't see the comb ,they had so many bees on it.this was done after the flow.did some with the flow and they didn't touch it.i could be wrong on this but i think this is why it happens. ......schawee

njoylife10 · August 23, 2011, 03:20:56 PM

I'm so glad you asked about this...I had the same problem and couldn't figure out why they weren't cleaning it up.

njoylife10

annette · August 24, 2011, 12:47:09 AM

Wow, such a good flow this time of year. I am so happy and I better watch the supers before they fill up!!

Thanks for the responses.

Annette

L Daxon · August 24, 2011, 11:52:48 AM

Annette,

I set out some syrup to do open feeding last week and the girls didn't touch it. So I added some HBH. Still no one around. Finally I poured some pure honey over the feeder. Still nothing -- but ants. Finally after more than 48 hours the girls seemed to "find" it and away they went. Now every day when I put out a new batch of syrup, they are on it in seconds.

Not sure what the 2 days delay was as we are in a dearth and I was feeding because their stores were very low.

annette · August 27, 2011, 12:27:47 AM

If you are in a dearth, then that is strange in deed.

kingfisherfd2 · August 27, 2011, 12:23:59 PM

I have a quart jar in the hive and they eat at about a cup a day.