It got up to 15 today(60F)here on the coast so I thought I'd remove those
pesky apistan strips I put in last October.
(one hive of Buckfast---first year hobbyist)
The bees have been very busy for about 5 hours a day for the last week. Half
the returnees seem laden with pollen and I was worried they were mabey gonna
start storing stuff in the two shallow supers I left on top of the 2 brood
chambers. I took a spare super down to the hive and a leftover antibiotic
patty from the fall.
 
I was surprised to find that the 2 frames of honey I'd left in the top
shallow super were untouched(and a little mouldy). Because this is my first
spring I hardly knew what to expect but was surprised at the amt. of
moisture. I removed the entire wet top super(and brought it into the house)
along with one full capped comb(but mouldy--not too bad on one side but
quite a bit on the other---a blueish mold---kinda benign looking). The cap
was metal but the wooden inside was totally soaked and water dripped
everywhere when I moved it(all transpiration from my girls?) The topboard
with the hole in it that sits right under the cap was also black and
waterlogged.
 
Under all that mess things seemed a little better. I gave them a little shot
of smoke,removed the Queen excluder, and lifted off THAT shallow super which
seemed to still be solid with honey(at least 25 lbs). I set it aside without
examining it and placed the metal cap over it temporarily as it was quite busy.
 
Now I inched the two deep supers apart with my hive tool,
lifted(uuuhhg...heavy) and the bees began to get a little excited(good thing
I used the veil & gloves, I was mobbed and a couple of them were ticked
off). I just tilted that sucker back(though I could barely hold it with one
hand and shoulder, and I gave everybody a little smoke)put the smoker down
an reached in and grabbed the strips and closed 'er up again.
Moving faairly quickly(its not THAT warm and the sun is now off the hive)I
replaced the full shallow super and its accupants on top of the
broodchambers and put the excluder on top. Theres no way I'm gonna put that
mouldy soaked super on top of the hive so I put the new dry one on
and...whoops...forgot the patty. Off with the top super and damn...the patty
is breaking apart ant I can't get it out of the bag. Finally, I spread the
broken patty complete with paper which parts of it are stuck to...on top of
the queen excluder. I then top it off again with the dry shallow super with
drawn out comb from last October and(unfortunatly) the waterlogged top board
and the wet tin cover.
 
Pppheww!
Now what do I do with this mouldy honey? I put one comb (the least mouldy
one)in the dry super and I left another on the baseboard in front of the
hive. Will they salvage it? Or next time I go in should I remove the one in
the upper super.
 
What about this one I brought into the house. There isn't alot of mould and
it smells OK.
 
My main question(and I guess this could best be aswered by someone who
shares this temperate rain-forest with me) is---Is this kind of moisture
build up normal and, next year, should I not leave ANY supers on the brood
chambers?
 
Also...I'd like another hive. I have two more brood chambers and have set up
one of them on my roof(about 20 meters higher and more than 40meters
away)The yard slopes steeply and the current hive is at the back of the lot.
If, in April, I switch the bottom broodchamber(with brood & nurses ensuring
the queen is not among them ) to the roof and place another deep
broodchamber on top of each---am I likely to have two viable hives by
winter(end of october)? Or am I more likely to disrupt things that
way---should I just purchase another queen and a few pounds of bees & place
her on the roof?
 
I hope this all came across as nervous and unsure enough that I'll be
flooded with advice.
1) what do I do to get this wet super in shape? While some of the drawn out
comb in it looks ok---are there moulds that need to be killed. If so---how?
Will the freezer do it?(I'm skeptical---January averaged well below
freezing).The wood of the box also has various types of moulds growing on
it(insidewhere you hang the frames).
2) is the honey usable by the bees(or anyone?)?
3) is my crumbling patty unlikely to have any antibiotic left in it and
should I get it back outa there?
4)Anything important I'm overlooking?
 
Stuart Grant
Point Roberts,WA([log in to unmask])
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     Though argument does not create conviction, lack of it destroys
     belief. What seems to be proved may not be embraced; but what no
     one shows the ability to defend is quickly abandoned. Rational
     argument does not create belief, but it maintains a climate in
     which belief may flourish. (Austin Farrer on C. S. Lewis.)
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