Subject: Does Honey Go Bad In The Hive?

From: [email-masked] (gary)
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 12:42:40 -0500

I have access to 2 honey bee hives that have been abandon and have not
been maintained for at least five years. The bees left one of the
hives about a month ago and I harvested the honey and wax.

Most of the frames in the abandoned hive had a very dark honey, a
couple were golden and a couple had a deep green tinge. The combs in
the top two supers were intact but the brood super had some combs that
were dried out and there was some mildew (I did not harvest this honey).
The bees in the active hive are very docile and all three supers are being used.

Would it be safe to consume the honey from either of these two hives? If
not, what use could I put the honey to? Should I just feed it back to the
bees?

How can I clean up the wax so I can use it for candles, etc.

Thanks.

-- 
=>Gary
[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Pollinator)
Date: 1 Apr 1995 08:06:23 -0500

Gary ([email-masked]) says:

   I have access to 2 honey bee hives that have been abandon and have not
been maintained for at least five years. The bees left one of the hives
about
a month ago and I harvested the honey and wax.

Gary,

   Before commenting on the honey, I'd like to call attention to the live
hive.  You may have a million dollar baby there!

   It is unlikely that the bees left the one you found abandoned.  They
probably died out from varroa mites, though it could have been starvation,
or
foulbrood disease, or queen failure, etc.

   But any hive that has survived for five years now without treatment for
varroa mites, should be checked immediately by someone who knows what he
is
doing, to see if they have any resistance to varroa mite.  You might want
to
call your bee inspector or a queen breeder for advice and personal
inspection.  If the hive is mite resistant, it could be very valuable. 
Where
are you located?  If you are close, I'd be interested myself. I've made a
standing offer to landowners around here.  If they can provide me with a
live
wild hive that has survived for two years without any treatment, I'll take
the queen and test her and her daughters for one year.  If I find any
varroa
mite resistance, I'll pay them $500.  Not a bad return for simply calling
my
attention to it. But it's a one-in-a-million shot, as it may be a swarm
lost
from treated bees, and these might survive a year or so, before the mites
overtake them.

  >Most of the frames in the abandoned hive had a very dark honey, a
couple were golden and a couple had a deep green tinge. The combs in the
top
two supers were intact but the brood super had some combs that were dried
out
and there was some mildew (I did not harvest this honey).
  >The bees in the active hive are very docile and all three supers are
being
used.

   Did the honey in the dead hive have a sour smell?  My experience is
that
honey stored on a dead hive, or one that is too weak to keep it dry, will
absorb moisture from the air and begin to ferment.  Of course, if it is
cold,
fermentation will be very slow.

   Make sure the deadout does not have foulbrood disease by checking for
scale in the brood chamber.  Then use the honey for feed for bees if it is
sour smelling.  If it still smells okay, place it on your live one for a
few
days to let them get the moisture level down, then remove and extract.

[email-masked]            Dave Green
Eastern Pollinator Newsletter,  PO Box 1215, Hemingway, SC 29554

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From: [email-masked] (Adam Finkelstein)
Date: 3 Apr 1995 14:42:32 GMT

Interesting. Selection is the key to breeding progress. Lone surviving
colonies in varroa areas _should_ be looked at. What is the standard test for
varroa? Grooming behavior? Morse and Miksa did this in early 90's.
 I use stock from Miksa, and am looking forward to this grooming test this
fall after the flow, when varroa numbers increase. Is anyone else going to
try this test?  Dave, what test are you going to employ? (I'll post the
bib. if anyone wants to read the article)

 Adam
-- 
______________________________________
Adam Finkelstein 
[email-masked]