Mark Hayward successfully stored unfinished Ross Rounds over the winter and
put them back on.  He is looking for comments, and wonders what others do
with unfinished sections.

I will be interested in whether you are pleased with the results of the
sections you stored over the winter and then put back on.  I have no doubt
that the bees will finish them perfectly, but I don't know whether the comb
will be tougher than otherwise.  (Your honey might also be of two different
colors (in one cell), as the flows are undoubtedly different in the spring
compared to the fall.  However, this in itself should not be a problem.)

Yes, most producers I know will return unfinished sections for completion.
However, this is usually done during the same season, rather than during the
next season.

To avoid travel stain, most are checking their supers weekly and removing
those that are entirely or "almost" filled with cells sealed.  Inevitably,
some frames (usually on an end) or some sections (usually on either an end
or just above the hive entrance) will not be completed.  I am working with a
lot of supers, so my procedure a little different, but can easily be adapted
to any size operation.

Because I have so many supers, I can't take the time to go through every one
for incomplete sections before I freeze them.  So, I first freeze them and
thaw, and then start to take out completed sections.  When I come across an
entire frame that is incomplete (all four sections), I just set it aside and
when I get eight such frames I put the frames in a super and back on the
hive.  I do likewise with individual sections, except here I first assemble
four such incomplete sections into a frame.  Then that frame is treated just
like an entire incomplete frame.

Only in late summer do I not put incomplete sections back on the hive.  Our
fall flow is not strong enough for comb honey, so these get set aside.  In
my operation, if they weigh at least 6.5 ounces they are sold as "seconds".
I put an opaque cover on both sides and sell for 1/2 of the "first" price.
I have more buyers than supply.

Those that are incomplete and weigh less than 6.5 ounces I put in my capping
melter.  The honey comes out of my melter at about 90 degrees F. (32 C.),
and it seems really superior to extracted honey!  Maybe t my imagination.

Lloyd
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Lloyd Spear Owner, Ross Rounds, Inc.  The finest in comb honey production.
Visit our web site at http://www.rossrounds.com.