NZBF: Can we move nectar/honey from brood box that was collected during varroa treatment time?

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Natsbees

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Rakino
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Hi. We are having debate and I'd appreciate some advice.
We treated our bees for varroa in sept/Oct with bayverol. During that time some of the brood frames were filled with honey and nectar. We now need to create space for brood and would rather not just ditch the honey again. (Theres no point in storing it as we have too much for the bees anyway) If we move the frames up above an empty box so the bees can be tricked into robbing their own honey.. where will they store that?
A) Will they just eat it all or
B) will they deposit some of this 'contaminated' honey into stores that we could extract later and inadvertently eat?

Suggestions on an easy way through this dilemma appreciated.
 
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Grant

Grant

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Colour and viscosity potentially as it would be from a different plant source
 
yesbut

yesbut

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If I were you I'd stop worrying . I'm sure my hungry lot wouldn't have any October brought in honey left by now.
 
Otto

Otto

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Natsbees said:
B) will they deposit some of this 'contaminated' honey into stores that we could extract later and inadvertently eat?

Suggestions on an easy way through this dilemma appreciated.
Click to expand...
There is no dilemma unless you are wanting to export your honey somewhere that has a zero tolerance for traces of flumethrin.
If it is for personal consumption it comes down to whether or not a trace amount of flumethrin bothers you.
 
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Natsbees

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Otto said:
There is no dilemma unless you are wanting to export your honey somewhere that has a zero tolerance for traces of flumethrin.
If it is for personal consumption it comes down to whether or not a trace amount of flumethrin bothers you.
Click to expand...
Thanks. That's helpful.
 
Maggie

Maggie

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Once pollen is in the frame bees won't move it round, but they will move honey about the hive. If you put on a queen excluder, then a honey super, they will take some of that honey up into the honey super.

If only for personal consumption move some of the frames up.

A commercial beekeeper probably won't move the brood frames up, because it does affect colour on analysis or compromise a pollen count. e.g. you want to keep your clover honey as light as possible and you want a high clover pollen count and so you only use frames with light wax in the honey super.

Just my thoughts. I am sure others will have different thoughts.
 
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John B

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There is a lot of debate about whether it is acceptable to move brood frames with honey or not up into the honey supers but the reality is that most beekeepers do so and even if they don't, under the right conditions bees will often move honey out of the brood boxes into the honey supers. You really have two choices. Use organic treatments with their variable success rates and very high LD50 or conventional treatments which are far safer for the bees and the beekeepers and generally much more effective. Whatever you use, if you use them at the right time of year and remove them when the treatment is finished you should not have any great problems with residues. Honey frames taken from the brood nest will in general contain more pollen and often have higher bacterial counts but it is still absolutely edible.
 
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Natsbees

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Maggie said:
Once pollen is in the frame bees won't move it round, but they will move honey about the hive. If you put on a queen excluder, then a honey super, they will take some of that honey up into the honey super.

If only for personal consumption move some of the frames up.

A commercial beekeeper probably won't move the brood frames up, because it does affect colour on analysis or compromise a pollen count. e.g. you want to keep your clover honey as light as possible and you want a high clover pollen count and so you only use frames with light wax in the honey super.

Just my thoughts. I am sure others will have different thoughts.
Click to expand...
Great info. Many thanks
 
N

Natsbees

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John B said:
There is a lot of debate about whether it is acceptable to move brood frames with honey or not up into the honey supers but the reality is that most beekeepers do so and even if they don't, under the right conditions bees will often move honey out of the brood boxes into the honey supers. You really have two choices. Use organic treatments with their variable success rates and very high LD50 or conventional treatments which are far safer for the bees and the beekeepers and generally much more effective. Whatever you use, if you use them at the right time of year and remove them when the treatment is finished you should not have any great problems with residues. Honey frames taken from the brood nest will in general contain more pollen and often have higher bacterial counts but it is still absolutely edible.
Click to expand...
Thanks heaps. I'm learning a lot from these responses
 
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StephenP

StephenP

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Natsbees, I was going to post a link to the Bayers instruction sheet but I can't find it. As far as I can remember, when I found it a few years ago, Bayvarol has a 10 day withholding period after that you should be okay. As Otto said it depends on if a few traces of the treatment bother you.
 
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Dansar

Dansar

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StephenP said:
Natsbees, I was going to post a link to the Bayers instruction sheet but I can't find it. As far as I can remember, when I found it a few years ago, Bayvarol has a 10 day withholding period after that you should be okay. As Otto said it depends on if a few traces of the treatment bother you.
Click to expand...
Apivar and Apitraz - 2 week withholding before supers go on.
Bayvarol - no withholding period. (Although..it would make sense to follow similar protocol as Apivar)
 


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