Osr sos?

[Loubylou]

Just cleaning out the back of my bee shed and found a load of supers with last years OSR honey/concrete in. What do most folks do with this? Would it be a good idea to put it underneath the BB's so they can take it upstairs? Or is it best left for pointing the house bricks?

 

[Cazza]

If I need the comb in a hurry, I uncap it, then leave the frames upside down in luke warm water to dissolve out the set honey. Change the water to keep it warm and then give them a good shake. Let them dry somewhere bee proof and they are good to go.

Personally I don't often feed them back because I worry that the old osr will find its way into my honey supers but that's just me.
Cazza

 

[beeno]

Use them to make up nucs and for feeding come autmn.

 

[mjt68]

Use to feed swarms/nucs or borrow a melter and melt the comb if you want to harvest the honey yourself.

 

[Finman]

To melt combs it the worst alternative. Drawn combs are very valuable.

I have written many times in this forum, what alternatives you can use to clean last year honey from combs.

 

[mjt68]

To melt combs it the worst alternative. Drawn combs are very valuable.

I have written many times in this forum, what alternatives you can use to clean last year honey from combs.

Agree. You literally cannot buy drawn comb. But OSR blocked comb can be a nuisance and there is a lot of (non-monetary) pleasure in home-made honey. Plus wax is a fantastic hive product. Used once wax from a super could be hand cream, lip balm, table polish, nappy cream, candles.... If you don't like the taste of OSR honey you could do fudge, mead or cyser? With the other hive products, it even sounds like a Christmas hamper!

 

[Finman]

.
I need all my wax to order new foundations. Foudations are £ 2.5/ kg when give wax to foundation maker. But if you melt good combs to make wax, the price is £ 40-50/kg. Bees need 7 kg honey to make 1 kg/wax.

Washing away honey from combs with 30C water is a good alternative. Old honey does not give good aroma to the new yield.

 

[oliver90owner]

Score it and put it under the brood box if you currently have an OSR flow. Under a Q/E will prevent brooding in there and spacing out the frames will encourage them to shift it up.

 

[Brian Bush]

Score it and put it under the brood box if you currently have an OSR flow. Under a Q/E will prevent brooding in there and spacing out the frames will encourage them to shift it up.

 

[enrico]

Score it and put it under the brood box if you currently have an OSR flow. Under a Q/E will prevent brooding in there and spacing out the frames will encourage them to shift it up.

The second time they process it it never seems to set so hard either.... Not sure why!
E

 

[Loubylou]

Score it and put it under the brood box if you currently have an OSR flow. Under a Q/E will prevent brooding in there and spacing out the frames will encourage them to shift it up.

That is brilliant.....I was wondering whether this was an option.

If there is too much would it matter if it was then taken by the bees and deposited in the supers above the BB? as l maybe extracting from these later in the season....ie is it ok to be recycled like this for human consumption later this year?

 

[Cazza]

That is brilliant.....I was wondering whether this was an option.

If there is too much would it matter if it was then taken by the bees and deposited in the supers above the BB? as l maybe extracting from these later in the season....ie is it ok to be recycled like this for human consumption later this year?

Finman has already answered your last question, taste is impaired.Cazza