What do I do with Uncapped Honey

twodogs · November 21, 2011, 01:32:54 AM

Hi,
First year for me and my Bees. I still have a honey super on that they have been filling with sugar syrup.
It is now about 3/4 full of Nectar and about 1/5'th - 1/4 capped.
Should I remove it for winter or just leave it on?
Will the nectar give off too much moisture in hive?
I have been feeding right up till last week.
Is it too late here in Mass. to put it over the inner cover?
They have (2), 8 frame mediums full of capped honey and 1 deep about 1/2 full besides this extra super.

Thanks guys,
Paul

asprince · November 21, 2011, 08:25:39 AM

If you have a queen excluder on, remove it and let the bees eat it during the winter. BTW you should not feed with honey supers on because all you will get even if capped will be syrup.

Good Luck,

Steve

twodogs · November 21, 2011, 11:05:02 AM

Thanks Steve,
No excluder on and this super was meant for them.
Will all that loose nectar hurt them with moisture?

Thanks,
Paul

Hemlock · November 21, 2011, 11:26:43 AM

IF you have a telescoping cover on top of a supper it would be a good idea to add an inner cover. Wednesday & Friday look like they will be above 50°F. The bees might glue the top on, with propolis, if you don't.

You may have wanted to consolidate the capped honey long before now. That would have also limited to amount of empty space the bees will now have to heat.

When you go in look to see how big the cluster is and note it's location. Then talk to the people in your local bee club about Winter preparation up by you. If nothing else search for 'Winterization'.

Winterization down here begins in August. So yours might be earlier.

Hemlock · November 21, 2011, 11:30:35 AM

Quote from: twodogs on November 21, 2011, 11:05:02 AM
Will all that loose nectar hurt them with moisture?

If the hive has some sort of top vent (entrance or screened hole) moisture can passively escape. Make sure the hive has a slight forward lean. This lets the condensation rundown the front wall then out the bottom entrance. Which is much better than it dripping onto the cluster.

twodogs · November 21, 2011, 11:51:00 AM

Thanks guys,
I have an inner cover on top followed by a 1/2" homasote board then the outer telescoping cover and a couple heavy bricks.
The inner cover has a vent/exit notch cut into it so it does vent to the outside.

I'm still confused about the moisture from the uncapped nectar..will it add too much moisture to the hive?
Should I remove it? Leave it on? or Move it over the inner cover and hope the bees take it down below?

Paul :?

twodogs · November 21, 2011, 11:58:06 AM

I have another question about that vent hole in the inner cover.
Some say face it to the front of the hive and others say put it on the opposite side as the front entrance for better ventillation.?
I'm not sure which would be best?
I have wind breaks on all sides except west...hives face south-east.

Happy Tanksgiving,
paul

T Beek · November 21, 2011, 02:42:43 PM

IMO Placing entrances on opposing ends will cause a cross draft and would be detrimental to your bees. As said, just having a top entrance is generally enough to allow excess moisture to escape, but it should be on the 'same' side as a bottom entrance if using both.

I don't know about your area but the prevailing winds around here come from the west. I have fencing blocking NW winds.

thomas

fish_stix · November 22, 2011, 01:59:38 PM

twodogs; what makes you think you have uncapped nectar? Honey processing is an ongoing process in the hive. They don't bring in nectar and just let it sit in a cell until the cell is full then process it into honey and cap it. What you most likely have is uncapped honey, waiting for them to fill the cell and cap it. Now, since you've been feeding sugar with honey still on the hive, just leave it for winter food. And no, the uncapped honey is not going to be a moisture problem.

BrentX · November 22, 2011, 03:13:16 PM

Reinforcing the comment from FishStix...I would leave the uncapped honey/sugar buzz on the hive, and let the bees eat it or cap it when they think it is ready.

L Daxon · November 22, 2011, 10:30:31 PM

If the "honey" is uncapped, one of two things is probably going on. First, it is not capped yet because the moisture content is not low enough and the girls are still waiting on the evaporative process to get the moisture below about 18% before they cap it. Or two, the moisture content of the "honey" is low enough but by now there is not enough forage/nectar coming in for the girls to be making wax so they just leave it uncapped.

twodogs · November 23, 2011, 03:06:28 PM

Thanks for all the help.
The process of changing nectar into honey being an on going process never occured to me....wow
Good point and I guess because they have done so much I'll leave it on instead of saving it for them later.
You all shed a lot of light on this dim bulb of a new beekeeper.
I pray they make it and I am trying my best.

Wishing you all well, thanks,
Paul

ScoobyDoBee · November 25, 2011, 11:43:48 PM

Paul, my understanding is that nectar, being very liquid, will just shake out of the frames. If you try to shake it out and it stays put, you have uncapped honey. Another reason they won't cap honey is they want the cell full. They won't cap it till it is.