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Subject:
From:
"Joel W. Govostes" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Discussion of Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 19 Feb 1997 17:19:40 -0500
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Hi Ted.  Sounds like you got quite a windfall.  A few things:
 
1. Make sure the supers are the correct depth.  The comb honey supers sold
by manufacturers are usually a bit too deep (maybe this has already
changed).  You should have about 1/4 - 3/8 clearance above the frames
across the super, and 1/8 inch or so beneath the frames.  If you have more,
the bees will often build a lot of honey-filled burr-comb between the
supers, which can be a mess when you try to harvest the supers.
 
2.  The bees can construct and fill the combs pretty fast during a good
flow. (After all, the super is only going to hold about 16-18 pounds of
honey, total.)
So keep an eye on them, with weekly checks anyway so you can stay ahead of
the bees.  I used to produce the rounds exclusively, and it worked out
pretty well to add the next super when about half the sections on the hive
were becoming capped over.
 
3. If you are in the midst of a good nectar flow, and they have made good
progress on the first super of sections, you can raise it and put the next
one underneath it.  This can help reduce travel-staining on the capped
sections, and gets the bees to occupy the newly added sections immediately.
 
4. There are lots of detailed and somewhat complicated methods for section
comb honey, but as a beginner you don't really need to go for them. Here is
what will usually work very well:
 
The first honey super or two added are extracting supers (shallow or
medium) with frames.  This would usually be in May in the Northeast, for
comparison.
When the main/major nectar flow begins (here that's June, with its black
locust and clover flows) give them a round-section super *underneath* the
extracting super(s) which are already becoming filled.  In this position,
the bees will start work on it quickly.
 
5.  When all but perhaps the 4 sections at the corners are completely
capped, try to harvest them ASAP, so the cappings will be nice and light,
for the most attractive package.  Then you can place any unfinished
sections into the next, newly fitted-out super, towards the center, and
they will be completed for  harvesting next time around.
 
6.  It is much better to use clear covers on both sides (IMO), when it
comes time to pack and label them.  Some comb-honey producers put a clear
cover on the best side, and an opaque one on the other side (bottom).  To
me this isn't nearly as interesting and attractive than a section packaged
so that the customer can see both sides clearly.
 
7.  Any sections which are only partially filled or finished can be dealt
with thusly:  Cut the parts containing honey out of the combs.  Put these
cuts in a wide-mouth jar, and pour liquid honey around them.  This "chunk
honey" usu. sells well.  If you warm the liquid honey to about 140 degrees
first, and let it cool before pouring it in, this will help retard
granulation.
 
5. Finally, when fitting out the super, make sure the rings go in the
frames the right way.  I'm not sure about the Ross rings, but some of the
rings from another manufactuer had little dimples on one edge, which had to
be oriented right or the ring would not go into the frame right.
 
Good luck with this -- people seem to really like the round sections; they
also make great gifts.  I have sold them to people making gift-baskets as a
business, and they are an ideal regional product for such uses.
 
JWG

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