# Small hive beetle infested comb



## beegineer (Jul 5, 2011)

Ok I probably messed up but I froze and extracted some frames that hive beetles had gotten in . I put them on a hive to clean up should I leave it on or take off and scrape the frames down


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## apis maximus (Apr 4, 2011)

If the hive you placed them on, is strong enough, it might be OK. 

The slime, the yucky stuff beetle larvae produces as it eats its way through the comb, is pretty repellant to bees. 

So, freezing the frames might have killed the beetle eggs and the beetle larvae, but the slime itself will still be present and its composition is not altered too much by freezing. Washing the slime off with cold water and/or scraping the nasty part of the frame out will dilute/eliminate the slime.

If you just extract these slimed frames, and not freeze, some of the slime will end up in the honey...that's a whole different can of worms so to speak. But also, these frames, if not frozen, still have beetle eggs that will hatch and continue their cycle in the hive you give them to...if the hive you place them on is weak, you might do more damage than good. 

If the hive is strong, and very populous, I mean bee coverage on every frame, they might overcome it...but, is it a risk you want to take?


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## Kidbeeyoz (May 8, 2013)

Hose them off. It is a good idea to put only a couple of frames back in a strong hive.
Also beware that the slime is pretty evil stuff and the spores produced can give you a nasty lung infection.


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## crazylocha (Mar 26, 2013)

I just pick out an ant pile, and let them clean up the slimed frames. Once cleaned, then let the bees have them. Safer for bees, last meal for ants;-)


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## beegineer (Jul 5, 2011)

Thanks for the replys , I did freeze the frames to kill larvae then thawed to extract, just to get most of the larvae out and disposed of the honey then put it on a hive guess I'll give them a couple of days and see how they did .


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## Chick (May 21, 2009)

The honey is ruined, once the frame is slimed. The larva has defecated in the honey, which causes it to ferment and push out of the frames. Plus, the bees won't touch it.


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## disc999golfer999 (Jun 9, 2013)

Chick said:


> The honey is ruined, once the frame is slimed. The larva has defecated in the honey, which causes it to ferment and push out of the frames. Plus, the bees won't touch it.


What would happen if you took all that defecated honey, put it into a fermenter with some wine yeast, and some other solution and got the fermentation going.
Rack it a few times, and filter, and you got some of the best MEAD around!


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## waynesgarden (Jan 3, 2009)

Beetle-poop mead. I think I'll pass.

But cheers! More for you.

Wayne


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## Chick (May 21, 2009)

This stuff is ruined. It is fermented from beetle defecation. Like what you put in the toilet before you flush.


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## allan (Jul 7, 2013)

disc999golfer999 said:


> What would happen if you took all that defecated honey, put it into a fermenter with some wine yeast, and some other solution and got the fermentation going.
> Rack it a few times, and filter, and you got some of the best MEAD around!


Have you tried it ? It did not sound like it would be good I think I would pass on that mead


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## beegineer (Jul 5, 2011)

Up date on the frames of beetle infested comb the bee's cleaned them up good and are using them now and as far as the poo mead . I think I'll stick to my coffee and let the varmints have the poo honey


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