Subject: Uncapped frames

From: Martin Niederkorn <[email-masked]>
Date: 26 Sep 1996 21:58:18 GMT

It never fails.  The outside frames are not capped.
I don't like extracting them for fear of a honey that
is not seasoned and contains too much water. (a past lesson)
In all I get about 4 supers uncapped.
What can I do with it?
Any suggestions.

P.S. The bees have enough honey for the winter.  It's time to
     medicate and the honey supers need to come off.

---

From: [email-masked] (Pollinator)
Date: 27 Sep 1996 13:44:15 -0400

>     medicate and the honey supers need to come off.   

    Take one of these uncapped frames and give it a hard shake.  If the
nectar or water flies off, then don't use it.  If it stays firmly in the
cells, go ahead and use them. If they are  "wet," it is only slight, and
blending with the rest of the capped honey will make them okay.

    I like to take off honey on a sunny day, and don't let it set in the
supers too long. If it waits for a week during a rainy spell, it'd be a
good idea to have some way to lower humidity in the storage, ie a little
heat, or a dehumidifier.  Honey will sop up water, even if it is capped.

   If you wait till cold weather, you'll sometimes find a lot of
condensation under the covers. Besides wetting the bees' feed honey or
your supers, it encourages molds and dysentery during the winter. Make
sure the bees have ventilation near the top of the hive during cold
weather.

[email-masked]                                   Dave and Janice Green
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