Super Storage

[Mothman]

Wet or dry? I can see the advantage of dry storage but I am only, usually, able to get in a bee suit and manipulate my bees once a week so if I put a super on wet for them to clean won't they start using it again by the time I return a week later? (even with a crown board in the way)

 

[MandF]

Wet or dry? I can see the advantage of dry storage but I am only, usually, able to get in a bee suit and manipulate my bees once a week so if I put a super on wet for them to clean won't they start using it again by the time I return a week later? (even with a crown board in the way)

Some people say storing a super wet deters/prevents wax moth, so it is done.

They shouldnt start reusing a super above the crown board, especially if you only leave them one feed hole open. If they do start to reuse it, you arent really losing much from storing wet now, it will just be a bit wetter! You can always shake out the nectar if needed, but I have never had them storing above the CB and I regularly put frames/supers/comb above the CB for them to clean.

 

[Luminos]

I stored a few brood frames sealed in plastic bags over winter, which had some stores in - and believe me, wax moth were not deterred - what a mess

 

[MandF]

I used a sulphur stack with success - all honey supers.

 

[busybee53]

Last year I gave the bees wet supers above the crown board to clean up and it worked a treat.

This year I have not had enough honey to extract but when I united two hives they did not need both supers so I put one above the crownboard. I wanted the bees to put all the honey into one super (there was not much).

They had other ideas and instead of removing the small amount from the super over the crown board they began filling it. I gave up. There must have been a flow on but more honey is good.

 

[drex]

Have always put supers on top of crown board to be cleaned up and they have done an excellent job.

Last year used sulphur strips before storing any boxes ( including BB) over winter, with a solid board top and bottom, stacks held together by ratchet straps, and they all came out of store well with no sign of moth damage. Kept in shed where they were cold.

 

[VEG]

I stored a few brood frames sealed in plastic bags over winter, which had some stores in - and believe me, wax moth were not deterred - what a mess

There lies your problem brood frames, wax moth love frames that have had brood in them. Always store my supers wet in bin liners taped up, get the odd wax moth but very little damage if any.

 

[Tom Bick]

The previous four years I have stored them wet with the odd sulphur stick to combat wax moth. Only ever had a problem with wax moth on a few frames one year after a mistake with the queen above the excluder and brood in the supers so backs up that wax moth prefers ex brood comb.

This year I want to store them dry as I want to clean up the frames a bit and dont want to be to sticky when I do this.

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

The previous four years I have stored them wet with the odd sulphur stick to combat wax moth.

Forgive newbie anxiety, but is there any danger of wet supers being contaminated by burning sulphur sticks?

And what sources do people use for sulphur sticks (and burners)?
[I get fed up of bothering Th0rnes every couple of weeks, for stuff I've just found out I need!]

Dusty

 

[MandF]

Forgive newbie anxiety, but is there any danger of wet supers being contaminated by burning sulphur sticks?

And what sources do people use for sulphur sticks (and burners)?
[I get fed up of bothering Th0rnes every couple of weeks, for stuff I've just found out I need!]

Dusty

No danger of contamination, I like to air the frames a little before reusing if possible.

If you have any frames which have contained brood, then put these at the bottom of the stack, as the fumes sink and settle, so these will be protected for longer.

 

[BMH]

Has anyone ever tried sublimation of sulphur in a sublimox?

If it worked it could be an effective way to keep stacks of super wax moth free over winter?

Just a thought....

EDIT - thinking about it, its probably not desirable and could lead to contamination issues maybe?

 

[Beefriendly]

Its the SO2 gas given off when burning sulphur that is the active ingredient. Sublimation will just redistribute pure sulphur and cause no protection.

 

[Welshboyarchrr]

Sublimation is the art of changing from solid to gas without a liquid phase. Sulphur melts at 115 centigrade and boils at 444 degrees, so you would need a pretty hot pan to vaporize it even if it was straight sulphur that you needed.

Pedants hat firmly attached, and ducking for cover.

 

[Beefriendly]

Pedants hat firmly attached, and ducking for cover.

Best Duck now then....Sulphur (well one ring form) sublimates at between 25 and 50C.
"Notes on the Sublimation of Sulfur between 25° and 50°C"
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ie50229a014

 

[BMH]

Its the SO2 gas given off when burning sulphur that is the active ingredient. Sublimation will just redistribute pure sulphur and cause no protection.

Thanks. That makes sense.

Just an idea, but the laws of chemistry have thwarted my attempts at efficiency, once again.

Back to the drawing board

 

[citrus]

i used certan and that worked nicely for me


https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=43074

 

[BMH]

Certan doesnt kill the eggs though does it?

 

[For want of a better word]

ACETIC ACID VAPOUR SEEMS TO BE EFFICIENT...... tried and tested.
However a large walk in freezer set at minus 18 also seems to keep the dreaded moff ot bay!

Chons da

 

[BMH]

However a large walk in freezer set at minus 18 also seems to keep the dreaded moff ot bay!

Chons da

Walk in freezer would be ideal

Im trying to work out the best place to store them and its looking like they are going to be outside at the moment. Maybe under cover. Hopefully a good frost will take care of them.

Im in the process of cutting sheets of 15mm ply and planning on stacking them 8-10 high, with a ply sheet at either end, ratcheted up tight.

Just want to make treating them as pain free as possible

 

[masterBK]

Certan doesnt kill the eggs though does it?

That doesn't matter because as soon as they hatch into larvae and eat the spores on the wax they are on their way to wax moth hell!

I fumigated 12 broodchmambers of comb using smouldering sulphur strips and it worked a treat (also killed loads of earwigs hiding in the cells). These are much cheapers than Certan.