Hi Grace,

First year beekeeper with a question.

Had 2 hives. Recently wrapped them for winter then found that one of the colonies died.

Put some of their honey frames into other colony but still have frames with honey and pollen. How do I store these?

Appreciate your assistance.

Hi,

Sorry you lost one of your colonies.

Storing frames is always a challenge. The best option is freezing them. This is also a good option to do first, and then you can do something else after you have frozen them for a few days to kill any Wax Moth larvae. Open comb with nectar or sugar water in them are best stored this way, as they could mold if closed into boxes.

If the frames have had brood in them, they are more vulnerable to attack by wax moths. The wax moth larvae eat the pupal cocoons that are shed into the bottom of the cells, making them darker. Moths may have laid eggs in the corners of the boxes as well, so even if you have frozen the frames, they could be infested by larvae that hatch from the boxes themselves. Boxes of frames can be stacked on a flat surface, an extra outer cover, sheet pan or piece of plywood. It is advisable to use about tablespoon or so of paramoth crystals on a piece of paper or tin foil on the top bars of the frames in the top box. You should put a shim (a 2 inch high box) to give a little head space so the paramoth can sublimate, at the top of the boxes. You can stack up to 5 boxes in one stack. Put an outer cover over this to seal up the boxes. These boxes of frames will be safe from moths until spring as long as you don’t open the stack too much and let the fumes out. In spring, open the stack and stand up the boxes in an airy place for about 2 days to blow the fumes out before using.

BE SURE you use paramoth (paradichlorobenzene) and not any other type of moth balls. Paramoth is labeled for use on beekeeping equipment. Other moth balls might be a different formula that is not safe for beekeeping equipment or pure enough, and may kill bees.

The other method is to use a product called CERTAN (B402) that you can buy from Betterbee.com or Dadant.com. You spray it on each frame and let them dry. This will kill wax moth larvae and will not harm bees. It is tedious to spray frames and then you have to let them dry before storing so they don’t mold. But, there is no waiting time to use them in the spring.

If the frames have never had any brood in them and are white wax, you can store them open to the air. Of course, if they are open nectar or sugar water, they may gain water in a damp environment. This option is best for EMPTY frames of white comb.

Frames of white wax with sealed honey can be stored in a stack with just a top and bottom to close them. Be aware that if mice have access to frames of honey, they will destroy them.

And, of course, using frames of resources to feed other colonies is a great way to use frames of open nectar and pollen!

I hope all this information helps! –Grace

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