Subject: | |
From: | |
Reply To: | |
Date: | Fri, 9 Sep 1994 19:42:43 CST |
Content-Type: | text/plain |
Parts/Attachments: |
|
|
In spite of the fact that I am only a "hobbeekeeper" (round 30 colonies)
I have some experience with crystalyzed honey. I would see following
possibilities how to cope with the problem:
1. To use it as winterstores. This is possible in case of flower honey.
Crystalyzed honeydew with lots of trisacharide melecitose is not allowed
for this purposs. The chamber with capped granulated honey should be put
on the brood chamber(s) as soon as the latest honey flow was extracted.
(Overwintering in more chambers in well ventilated hives supplied with
plenty stores brings strong colonies and more honey next season.)
2. In spring, after having checked the colony and removed uncovered
space, super with crystalyzed honey can be put bellow the brood
chamber from where bees start to transport honey to the upper parts of
the hive especially if cappings were partially destroied.
The higher air humidity bellow brood nest helps the bees with convering
honey into the liquid state. For this purposs a dark honey is
sutable, too.(The bee population should be numerous enough to manage
the given space.) Colonies develop rapidly and later on first supers
can be added to accumulate incomming nectar mixed with converted honey.
3. The combs with honey can be melted and "honey" used for production of
honey-vine or sold for sweetening.
4. Have red somewhere that it would be possible to warm combs with honey
in a special chamber to 45 - 48 deg. C. till honey solves and then,
after the temperature would fall a little again, honey should be
extracted.
Earlier I also changed honey for sugar because of the difference in prices
but now I know that bees bring more than stores left for them and the time
costs something, too. If the colony is not forced to convert large amounts
of sugar in late summer it remains unussually strong.
Best regards,
Vladimir Ptacek ([log in to unmask])
Czech Republic
|
|
|