Recycling old brood stores for winter

[Dusty Rhodes]

Sometimes I still need to ask simple questions!

I use 14 x 12 brood boxes - which are great because they provide sufficient stores for winter, in a single box.
However, over the years I've accumulated a number of 14 x 12 frames of stores, which haven't been consumed over winter.
Some have a thin covering of mould.
But even my new super-dooper, 20 frame extractor* can't take these frames.

I'd like to encourage the bees to recycle this honey - by putting the frames in a 14x 12 'nadir', together with the remaining uncapped frames from my supers.

My questions:

1) Is this a good idea or not?
2) My hope is they will move the stores up to the BB - so I don't need to feed; is this likely?
3) Is there anything I can do to encourage them to move these stores up?
I'm reluctant to scour the cappings, as I don't want to encourage robbing - and there are wasps around.
4) Any other thoughts?


Dusty

* Trust me to invest in a big extractor, in the year which our RBI says is "the worst year for honey in over a quarter of a century"!

 

[Finman]

.
IT is not good idea. I have done that but never again.
The Winter food of the hive is something £15. Not worth to play.

Recycling Nosema is one reason.
.

 

[oliver90owner]

If they are OK to use (disease free), why not use them if there is no other alternative?

Spread a few well apart in a spare brood box and put it underneath the brood after removig any supers. They will shift it, particularly if not completely crystallised. Don't advise using weaker colonies, and keep the entrance sensibly sized.

Two other advantages may be a return to use as brood frames or cleaned out ready for recyclig the frames and wax.

10 full frames are about equivalent to 20kgs of winter stores (after shifting by the bees). Better than burning five pound notes.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

you could even pop them straight in the existing brood box if you have any empty frames in there - the bees will soon clean it up.

 

[Eyeman]

3) Is there anything I can do to encourage them to move these stores up?
I'm reluctant to scour the cappings, as I don't want to encourage robbing - and there are wasps around.

I'm afraid you are going to have to scrape the cappings if you want them to move the stores with what ever method you use.

RBI says is "the worst year for honey in over a quarter of a century"!

Was that from Ian?
Maybe he looked at a biased sample!
Its the best year ever for my honey surplus and there is another week to go before the supers all come off.