# To extract from brood frames?



## honeybeemine (Sep 28, 2018)

So this spring my bees have decided to ignore my honey supers and have put all of it in their top brood box! I've heard that some do not like to extract from them and some do(for selling). I prefer my honey to be extracted from "clean" white comb vs old brood comb! I know the bees clean the cells out before and after. I also do not want them to get honey bound and swarm. I am looking for some of your opinions as to, if extracting from those brood frames and selling it is ok?!


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## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

Extracting from brood comb is OK in my opinion, just not extracting from frames with brood. I have the same problem with one of my production colonies and do not intend to let 75# of honey remain behind. Older brood comb can be a little harder to uncap as the cocoons are pretty tough.


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## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

JWPalmer said:


> Extracting from brood comb is OK in my opinion


depending on what you used for mite treatments that is


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## honeybeemine (Sep 28, 2018)

I did not treat for mites last year, but the year before I did the OA dribble method.


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## Akademee (Apr 5, 2020)

Some people would be nervous about that, I wouldn't be, especially if it was OA over a year ago. OA is naturally present in almost every green leafy vegetable at higher concentrations than it would ever get in your honey. Even things like Apivar burn off so completely after a few months that almost no detectable residuals are found (and thats according to the Europeans, who are VERY hardcore about that kind of stuff).

If there is brood in the combs, just put those frames above a queen excluder and let them hatch out. The dark brown combs do not in any way affect the color or taste of the honey. In fact, many beekeepers rotate out their old comb into supers for their last year of service.


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## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

wildbranch2007 said:


> depending on what you used for mite treatments that is


Good point Mike. I would not extract from brood comb if you have treated with Apivar. Since I am OAV exclusively, there are no contamination issues.


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