Subject: Will bees reuse cappings

From: [email-masked] (Eric Woznysmith)
Date: Wed, 27 Mar 1996 14:15:14 GMT

Folks,

I just installed 3 new hives from pacage bees.  I have some cappings
left over from last year and was wondering if the bees could would use
these to fill out the comb or just throw them away.  Any thoughts on
he subject?

BTW The cappings came from desease free bees. 

Thanls in advance.

Eric

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From: [email-masked] (Gerard Worrell)
Date: 28 Mar 1996 01:47:00 GMT

Eric Woznysmith ([email-masked]) wrote:
: Folks,

: I just installed 3 new hives from pacage bees.  I have some cappings
: left over from last year and was wondering if the bees could would use
: these to fill out the comb or just throw them away.  Any thoughts on
: he subject?

Eric,
I'd say that the likelyhood of some use is pretty good. Usually packages 
include a large number of older bees who no longer secrete beeswax 
themselves and will use any wax available. When I install packages on 
older drawn comb, the first comb built is brown, not white as would be 
expected if they were using virgin wax.

Jerry

Gerard P.Worrell Beekeeper with 25 colonies
(410)257-3267  Dunkirk,MD USA
Pres. Assoc. of Southern MD Beekeepers
Life member MD State Beekeepers Association,VP for Calvert Co.

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From: "Theodore V. Fischer" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 29 Mar 1996 09:47:08 -0500

Eric Woznysmith wrote:

> the subject?

I don't think there should be any problem doing this, but be sure to 
put the cappings inside the hive - between inner and outer covers, 
probably. I doubt that the bees will reuse very much of the wax, but 
they might, and they certainly can benefit from the honey on the 
cappings.  Be careful of robbing, though, since these are package bees 
and may not strongly protect their colonies yet.

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From: [email-masked] (Andy Nachbaur)
Date: Sat, 30 Mar 1996 00:33:00 GMT

E>From: [email-masked] (Eric Woznysmith)
 >Subject: Will bees reuse cappings

E>Folks,

E>I just installed 3 new hives from pacage bees.  I have some cappings
 >these to fill out the comb or just throw them away.  Any thoughts on

E>BTW The cappings came from desease free bees.

Hi Eric,

  They will clean the honey out of them, but it's not a good idea as
they also could start robbing and take out your new hives, and they
will, in this area, attract ants that will also stay and may find your
new hives.

  I would not do this, but I have, and if you keep an eye on everything
it can be done.
                        ttul Andy-
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