Bill asked:
 how do you handle extracted supers in the fall, which, from my
observations, is when most of the robbing and neighbor problems occur if
left for the bees to clean in the open?

We do not let the bees clean up wet supers

 The larger extractors spin the frames so they are not wet and only tacky.

We do not return the supers to the hives for cleaning up.

We store the supers on special skids which hold 6 stacks of seven medium
supers (42 supers total).

My self or my friends can not keep the bees from finding wet supers in the
super storage warehouse( the honey processing area is bee tight however).

 Even sealed tight with tops and solid bottom skids there is always a small
amount of honey from handling on the outside of the supers.
 When a honey flow is not on the bees try all day long to gain entry to the
super storage area. Many are successful. At night I open the large doors and
they fly back to their hives. This goes on until the fall honey flow starts.
Bees are creatures of habit and many will return for a few days even after
fall honey flow starts.

The drought (which is ending for us) has made the situation worse this year.
For grins many times I will let a honey customer sit in the safety of their
car and watch as I open the big door and stand while the bees fly by on
their way back to their hives. Would make an interesting picture for a bee
magazine cover. Many bees fly right into you but you are rarely stung.

In an average year we can leave the warehouse door open in the day for all
but a few weeks when there are no flowers for the bees to work.

Bob

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