I have often used honey-filled brood frames from winter/mite kills when
assembling nuclei or hives for package bees.  It's common for some of these
combs to show signs of fermentation ("weeping" through cappings, for
instance).  I'm not certain how the bees deal with this old honey, that
which has fermented and the large amout that is always granulated, but they
do work at it and clean it up nicely.  I've not noticed any adverse affects
from using such combs as food supply for new colonies.  At the same time I
always supply antibiotic (patties) against foulbrood, and occasionally also
sugar syrup with fumagillin.  I suppose it would really be ideal to give
some fumagillin/syrup whenever feeding this old honey.
 
Another thing I've encountered alot is that these old CAPPED combs of honey
often have a gray or purplish color to them.  My guess is that the honey
has absorbed moisture and is in contact with the cap of each cell, and the
cappings also have a thin film of "bloom" over them.  This gives the
cappings a dull, dusty appearance much the same as will appear on a cake of
rendered beeswax over time.  It presents no problems anyway.
 
I'm wondering what the "bloom" on wax actually is.  On candles or cakes it
rubs off easily, but do any readers know what causes it??  Thanks,     Joel
Freeville, NY     (15 degrees F this morning!)