# Storing Empty Supers with Drawn Comb



## beehonest (Nov 3, 2011)

Paramoth or freezing are the only two options I know of.


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## hpm08161947 (May 16, 2009)

If you know anyone who fumigates their supers, you could possibly throw yours in with theirs.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

chrisd4421 said:


> Thinking ahead, how do I go about storing these supers this coming winter without the aid of a fridge?


You could treat the comb in those stored supers with  Bacillus thuringiensis, v. *aizawai. (Bta)
*http://www.valent.com/Data/Labels/BI...ari%20MSDS.pdf

More on the Bt aizawai variety here:
http://www.beesource.com/forums/show...Aizawai-Powder
If you are interested in contacting Beesource member _Sundance _offering Bta, see the last page of the thread.


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## bevy's honeybees (Apr 21, 2011)

Isn't BT a treatment? I bought some and from now on I'm using it if I think I can't use the frames quickly, as I"m tired of losing good comb to wax moths. It's the only treatment I will use in my hives. I tried a year without and that is with freezing frames first and trying to keep them exposed to light as much as possible. 

Chris, do you get a good winter freeze? Could you store them outside instead if you want treatment free?


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## WWW (Feb 6, 2011)

You are located in NJ so you could easily store them outside for the winter. After harvest in the fall place the supers back on the hives above the inner cover, the bees will come up through the oval hole and clean the wet frames, when freezing weather comes remove the supers from the hives and store outside in a dry place.


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## gmcharlie (May 9, 2009)

WWW said:


> You are located in NJ so you could easily store them outside for the winter. After harvest in the fall place the supers back on the hives above the inner cover, the bees will come up through the oval hole and clean the wet frames, when freezing weather comes remove the supers from the hives and store outside in a dry place.


Excellent plan... its what we do. when spring is handy we move them indoors until hives are ready for them, but as noted you have to be careful on timing. we just last night went thru the last 20 or so and threw them on hives as the moths are starting to get them.


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## spieker (Jun 26, 2009)

I put my supers filled with frames of comb, in large, see through plastic bags. I like to be able to look down occasionally to make sure everything is alright. Then, store these in my basement.


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## thenance007 (May 25, 2011)

I had a mildew problem when I sealed them in a plastic bag--seemed like a good idea at the time but won't do that again.


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## Solomon Parker (Dec 21, 2002)

This is the Treatment-Free Beekeeping Forum. Paramoth (paradichlorobenzene) and BT are specifically listed as treatments in the forum rules. Please exercise the freedom to discuss them elsewhere!

Another rarely talked about option which is completely treatment-free and much more natural than removing supers is leaving them on. Think about it, who removes the supers out of a feral hive in a tree? Nobody, they stay there. I have been leaving all drawn comb on hives all winter for ten years. It is not only a viable option but reduces swarming dramatically as hives maximize use of space from the very beginning of the season.


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## thenance007 (May 25, 2011)

So Solomon, you don't have a problem with the hive not being able to prevent moth and SHB damage due to being in cluster or low numbers in winter if you leave 3 -4 supers on? I assume you have taken the honey out prior to winter?


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## Solomon Parker (Dec 21, 2002)

Nope. I don't have any problems at all with this method. Rarely do I talk to someone who won't try it who has actually done it.

Honey is harvested in June so there is little if any in the top of the hive come winter.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I have no issues if I put them back on the hives by the time of the main flow (usually the second week of June here). There are usually no significant numbers of wax moths before July here. Your climate will determine such things of course.


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## gmcharlie (May 9, 2009)

Solomon Parker said:


> This is the Treatment-Free Beekeeping Forum. Paramoth (paradichlorobenzene) and BT are specifically listed as treatments in the forum rules. Please exercise the freedom to discuss them elsewhere!
> .


 Why don't we work to get the title of the forum to show when you are reviewing todays post??? Don't see a darn thing on this page about what forum its under?? (might be me) but its sure not obvious...


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## Solomon Parker (Dec 21, 2002)

Thread heirarchy is at the top of every page.




Forum
General Beekeeping Forums
Treatment-Free Beekeeping
 Storing Empty Supers with Drawn Comb

Don't see 'cause ain't lookin'. :banana:


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## heaflaw (Feb 26, 2007)

I've read that comb can be stored where they get plenty of sunlight but no direct sun (which would melt the comb). Wax moths don't like light. I'm trying it for the first time this year and so far so good. They are under a porch spaced several inches apart.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

Comb that has never had brood…light colored wax….has no value to wax moths.
I stack mine in a shed that has one open side. They get good daylight and stay aired out.
I stack them with a metal queen excluder on the bottom and top of each stack. The excluder keeps mice from building nests in them.
I’ve been doing it this way for years without any wax moth issues.
Now if the comb is dark …..that’s a whole different matter.


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## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

beehonest said:


> Paramoth or freezing are the only two options I know of.


You need to research more.........many more options..........


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## hpm08161947 (May 16, 2009)

heaflaw said:


> I've read that comb can be stored where they get plenty of sunlight but no direct sun (which would melt the comb). Wax moths don't like light. I'm trying it for the first time this year and so far so good. They are under a porch spaced several inches apart.


I do a lot of storage right out in the full sun.... even in the summer, with the supers sitting on their small side. It can work for a long time. Put as many as you can on the hive and the rest line up outside... I recommend the full sun... unless it gets a lot hotter in Lincolnton than down here on the coast....


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## beehonest (Nov 3, 2011)

Solomon, sorry I didn't realize it was treatment free, I always click the new post button, if it says the forum somewhere I have never seen it? I just noticed it the hierarchy you were talking about, you have to be looking for it to see it just kind of blends in. SNL, I have never needed to serarch after I tried freezing them. I have tried leaving them on, I lost some comb that way, I think location has a lot to do with it. I have tried plastic bags no luck there either, maybe if you freeze them then bags. As far as wax color, I have a light color honey super that is destroyed as well as some new foundation they have started working in. I guess they are just bad here?


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## heaflaw (Feb 26, 2007)

hpm08161947 said:


> I do a lot of storage right out in the full sun.... even in the summer, with the supers sitting on their small side. It can work for a long time. Put as many as you can on the hive and the rest line up outside... I recommend the full sun... unless it gets a lot hotter in Lincolnton than down here on the coast....



No, we definitely don't get as hot as you guys do. I want to try this. It seems so simple. Please explain "sitting on their small side". The frame would have one of it's side bars towards the ground and either the top bar or bottom bar facing South? It looks like the combs on the ends would still get too much direct sun. No?


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## hpm08161947 (May 16, 2009)

Turn the super perpendicular to the ground... so the breeze blows through it. Direct sunlight is good. Breeze and sunlight it what keeps the wax moths from building up.


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## mac (May 1, 2005)

hpm08161947 said:


> Turn the super perpendicular to the ground... so the breeze blows through it. Direct sunlight is good. Breeze and sunlight it what keeps the wax moths from building up.


 You have no SHB issues??


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## Mr. C (Oct 27, 2011)

You can bag then freeze. Bag them up tight on a day with low humidity, then freeze (I do this with cut comb frames to prevent moths etc). If you bag them before freezing you don't have to worry about condensation on the cold comb or in my case honey, which is worse since there is more heat capacity. But then again you need a whole lot of bags, but I have had wax moth trouble in dry honey frames some years and SHB trouble with empty frames left on hives unless they are strong.


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