Storing frames of honey

[fincalinda]

 had a hive die and they have some frames of honey.  My other hives don't seem to have room for the honey because I don't want to crown the brood.  How much honey is too much?  What kind of balance of honey, pollen, empty and brood shoudl I try to have? 

Storing frames of honey.
What is the best way if not held in a freezer? 

Would moths be a threat?  Should moth crystals be used or would it contaminate the honey?  Or would it be just like storing drawn comb?  I'd like to store the frames until they can be fed to the bees, probalbly as soon as possible so I could then put supers on.  I'd extract it but some of it is crystallized or feed from last winter. 

[Mici]

  moth crystals

what's that?

they are stored like you said, like any other drawn comb. in my opinion, freeze them over night, or maybe a bit longer and then store them in air-tight bin bags in a cool place.

can't answer you the rest of the stuff

[Michael Bush]

>My other hives don't seem to have room for the honey because I don't want to crown the brood.

Have you considered checkerboarding?  You alternate capped honey and drawn comb over the brood nest.  Those who have tried it swear by it.  They say they get no swarming and HUGE yeilds.

>  How much honey is too much?

Overhead?  It's not a matter of too much honey.  A full box of honey isn't going to hurt anything.

> What kind of balance of honey, pollen, empty and brood shoudl I try to have?

I let the bees sort that out.  Although I'll put some on the outside of the cluster.  In the cluster they need some empty space to cluster.  But the cluster should be in contact with stores.

>What is the best way if not held in a freezer?

I'm with Mici.  Freeze to kill the moths and seal them up well enough to keep them out.  But you will have problems with condensation in a plastic bag.

>Would moths be a threat?

Yes.

> Should moth crystals be used

No.

> or would it contaminate the honey?

Yes.

>  Or would it be just like storing drawn comb?

Not at all.

>  I'd like to store the frames until they can be fed to the bees, probalbly as soon as possible so I could then put supers on.  I'd extract it but some of it is crystallized or feed from last winter.

I'd checkerboard it.
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesexperiment.htm