Vivian Donahue wrote:
>
> Bob, how do you keep the bugs and wax moths out of your "wet" supers?
>
> At 1:44 PM -0500 9/20/00, bob harrison wrote:
> >on the hives has been known to start robbing.  I personally don't return
> >supers to the hives to let the bees clean up.  My extraction process
> >leaves the supers drier than most and i like the supers slightly wet in
> >the spring as it makes the bees move into them as soon as they are put
> >on.
Hello Vivian,
 I scratch all areas my chain flail uncapper doesn't get and run the
extractor longer than most. Frames are sticky to the touch but not wet.
My super warehouse is next door to the honey house. Protected by a
firewall. In order to get all my supers in the warehouse i take the
supers off skids and stack in stacks with three tablespoons of
paradichlorbenzene every five supers. I make sure all holes are sealed
with tape. We have a free paper in our area called"thrifty Nickel" which
is the perfect size for putting between supers and also combining weak
hives. Newspaper is really to large and makes warehouse look tacky.
About a inch sticks out all the way around the super when done
correctly. When the warehouse is empty of supers in spring we clean all
areas and spray around doors to keep ants out.
I rotate supers so every super is put on colonies at least every other
year. Bees don't seem to like those old hard supers which haven't been
used in years. Also bees seem to move into supers done like i do faster
than supers given back to the bees to clean. Only my opinion and the way
i keep bees.
Also the instructions for Para-moth says 6 tablespoons for 10 supers in
a stack. I have found 3 tablespoons for five to give better protection.
The paper also seperates the stacks so if moths do get in you only get
five damaged instead of ten. In Missouri i only put crystals in once
after the honey flow is over because by the time the crystals are gone
the cold weather has set in. The super warehouse is not heated on
purpose. The above is the procedure i use and does take time but supers
are a important part of my operation. In cold climates storage in
unheated areas really help.
The system i use may not work in your part of the country or world.
Please check with other beekeepers in your area for advice for your
area. I do believe most of the northern U.S. could use the above system
without problems.
Sincerely,
Bob Harrison