# Can I use years old smashed comb?



## Labow (Mar 10, 2016)

Hi,
I’ve been beekeeping with top bar hives for several years, and when i process the comb i’ve been keeping the wax (and whatever honey is in it) with the thought I could use it to make mead. i’ve had this big crab pot that is just getting full of smashed up comb, and so I thought i should ask....can all of this still be used after several years? It’s been in the pot with a lid, and I see no evidence of any bugs in there, so i would guess it’s fine, but i thought i should ask and see what people thought.
And since i’m here, if anyone has any info on using old comb to make mead I would appreciate you passing it my way. Thanks!


----------



## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

I suppose you could make mead with it. Put the comb in a pot of water and render it down. Strain the resulting liquid and see if you still think it is a good idea. The bees will thank you if you feed it back to them which is what I did after reconsidering the mead idea.


----------



## Akademee (Apr 5, 2020)

you can render it down, but thats about it. You can't 'feed' beeswax back to a colony, which is super disappointing IMO. Reading your comment again, is there honey in this smashed up comb? If there is, I would be worried about it taking in water from the air and getting a bit funky. I would spread it out a hundred yards away from the hives and let the bees rob it all out.


----------



## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

Great minds think alike.


----------



## Labow (Mar 10, 2016)

Yeah, i smash and strain the comb, so the comb still has honey in it. Is there any way to tell if it has “turned”? And why spread it out 100 yards away from the hives?
JW, what made you reconsider making mead?


----------



## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

The liquid you get after boiling and removing the wax is not something I would want to drink, even after it has been fermented. I do make mead, I just use the dregs from the honey buckets. If you crush up the comb and put it in a large tray, the bees will clean the remaining honey out of the wax. For that you do not want it too close to the hives. I prefer to render it first and put the liquid in the feeders. I have put out wax/honey before and had animals get into it.


----------



## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

Keep in mind that rendering (heating) this old honey residue will elevate HMF in it to significant level (already high due to age).
Up to you google about HMF and decide for yourself what to do.

I would simple let the bees dry it all as is.
Spread outside someplace away from the hives and let have them at it.
Away - so to prevent the robbing jumping from the residue to the nearest hives.
When the residue is dry enough - render the wax conventionally (I use solar melter).

I have similar residue after C&S - bees dry the residue for me (placed under the hive lids to prevent too much external robbing).


----------



## Labow (Mar 10, 2016)

Interesting, i didnt know about HFM and honey. Okay, so i’m just going to let the bees have it.
But it sounds like honey that is in jars can be stored for a long time with no issue, is that correct as far as you know?


----------

