Subject: Re: Use for contaminated honey?

From: [email-masked] (Joel Govostes)
Date: Mon, 03 Jun 1996 16:49:09 -0500

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] wrote:

> I have been careless in storing some buckets of solidified Oil Seed Rape 
> honey.  Mice have got into a couple of buckets so that the honey cannot be 
> used for human consumption.
> Is there any way I can make use of it for feeding bees?  Bees seem to collect
> water from some pretty repellant sources without compromising the quality of
> the honey we collect.
> - if they are storing in supers would any contamination go straight into the
> honey harvest?
> - if I feed it in the Autumn there is presumably a risk that it will 
> crystallise in the comb and be unusable.
> Is there any alternative to disposing of it?
> Thanks for any ideas, Geoff
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Geoff Butt
> [email-masked]
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi Geoff-
I had this happen where a drum lid was not sealed down and HUNDREDS of
wasps got into the honey and drowned.  By the time i discovered this the
lot of it was granulated solid (aster/goldenrod honey).  The granulation
could be your salvation.  I was able, since the honey was solid, to scrape
off the top layers with a trowel and scrape the honey with wasp body parts
into a smaller container.  I kept removing honey from the drum until there
was no more evidence of the wasps.  I liquefied the contaminated honey,
strained it and fed it back the next spring, when the bees would utilize
it immediately.  It amounted to several pounds.

So carefully follow this method (you'll probably have to experiment to
find the best tool and manner of "scraping") until you see NO additional
evidence left from the mice.  THen take out a little more for good
measure.  Since it was rape honey it was probably granulated solid well
before the mice got in, so they could not have contaminated the honey
underneath.

Then liquefy the honey up to say 140/150 degrees and strain it while hot
through a good fine strainer (unused cotton diaper material, separated to
just one or two thicknesses works well, or a triple layer of womens' hose;
you can buy white like worn by nurses).  You will salvage the majority of
the honey easily this way.  Worse things have happened, so don't worry! 
I'm glad you are being so consciencious - some folks wouldn't even think
twice about the consumer, & would sell it without making sure it was
okay.     Good luck,   joel

---

From: John Alexander <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 04 Jun 1996 23:48:04 -0400

I have been careless in storing some buckets of solidified Oil Seed Rape
honey.  Mice have got into a couple of buckets so that the honey cannot 
be
used for human consumption.
Is there any way I can make use of it for feeding bees?  Bees seem to 
collect
water from some pretty repellant sources without compromising the 
quality of
the honey we collect.
- if they are storing in supers would any contamination go straight into 
the
honey harvest?
- if I feed it in the Autumn there is presumably a risk that it will
crystallise in the comb and be unusable.
Is there any alternative to disposing of it?
Thanks for any ideas, Geoff
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Geoff Butt
[email-masked]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Geoff,

I'm very new to the bee scene - not having started hives yet,
but I find your high standards to be an example to all.  You 
are someone to look up to and emulate.  Keep up the good work
and good luck

John Alexander

---

From: [email-masked] (Patrick Woodward)
Date: Thu, 6 Jun 1996 21:40:15 +0100

In message <[email-masked]>

> Is there any alternative to disposing of it?

I've got about 250lbs of crystallised honey in combs - The bees seem 
happy to feed on it in spring, when they can get out for water.

The rest goes into a solar wax extractor and then on to make mead - I 
don't like the stuff, but it gets rid of the honey!

Pat Woodward

[email-masked]