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Extracted Super Storage

2K views 6 replies 4 participants last post by  Gypsi 
#1 ·
After you've removed the honey supers in the fall, extracted the honey and allowed the bees to clean up the extracted frames, how do you store them away safe from wax moths until the next honey season? Does anyone ever forego the trouble to store these supers and just remove the comb for melting and reloading all the frames with new foundation?
 
#2 ·
I put a bunch of frames in plastic bags and sealed them, then the freezer for a few weeks and then put them outside still sealed in the bags, im in the northeast, ill see if the freezing and keeping them sealed up keeps the moths at bay..I bought the mothballs that were safe for bees but have not used them yet, ill see if this works and if it does I rather not use any chemicals near the frames.
 
#4 ·
Since you neither want to kill nor repel your honey bees, you do not want these products in any hive that currently contains bees. Crystals of para-dichlorobenzene are often used in stored bee boxes to keep wax combs free of moths during the winter months, which is fine, but the equipment must be thoroughly aired before being used with live bees. The advantage of para-dichlorobenzene over naphthalene is that the odor will dissipate quickly. On the other hand, equipment treated with naphthalene mothballs may smell nasty for months (or years) to come
 
#5 ·
The crystals stink too, I used them one year. Freeze, then make a batch of BT-azawai and spray the frames. Let dry thoroughly to avoid mold. Then you can hang in supers in a shed, even in Texas. Moth larva eat they die. Won't hurt bees
 
#6 ·
Gypsi, seems I've read somewhere that the BT-azawai being purchased was outdated and because of that non-effective. These were very old posts going back a number of years. Hopefully the problem has been corrected. Whom do you purchase your BT-azawai from? Regards.
 
#7 ·
Mine is about 6 years old but I have kept it refrigerated in its dry form, seems to still be effective, minecame from Sundance I think. I routinely refrigerate all seeds and bio-active products like beneficial nematodes, regardless of packaging recommendations.
 
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