# Freezing nectar frames?



## davpress (Mar 8, 2005)

Cloverdale said:


> Big bounty of honey in NYS this year!  I have a few supers that have minimal capped honey but lots of open nectar. Can I freeze this and feed back to the bees next year? Or should I use a dehumidifier to render the nectar to a lower moisture content then freeze? Thanks for any ideas.


If they have ample stored food for the winter, then yes you can freeze the frames and give it back to them in the spring. Otherwise give it to them now.
David


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

I had some frames appear damaged that were frozen with some probably pretty green nectar. Lots of cracking. This was wax foundation and the bees did seem to fix things back. Maybe the same as flow hive combs are supposed to work.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Extract it.


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## jhirsche (Jun 15, 2009)

Following...


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## Cloverdale (Mar 26, 2012)

sqkcrk said:


> Extract it.


Mark, when I extract it won't it be too high in moisture? What would I do with it? And I think it is too late now to feed back.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

It probably won't be too high in moisture content. Unless you can shake some honey out of the frame by holding the end bars in two hands and shaking it. If nectar rains out of the frame I'd put it back on the hive.

How many frames of honey and how much surface area is uncapped? When did you take it off?


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## Cloverdale (Mar 26, 2012)

Two supers removed within the last few days. The hives seem to have plenty of honey, but a few I had to feed within the past 2 weeks or so. To tell you the truth I didn't shake them, they looked too wet, but I will if I need to. I'd say 3/4 uncapped.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Is this the only time you took honey from these hives? Or did you take some earlier this year?


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## Cloverdale (Mar 26, 2012)

sqkcrk said:


> Is this the only time you took honey from these hives? Or did you take some earlier this year?


We take honey throughout the season, never from the deeps and always leave some on. We left supers on this late because we had a dearth and lots of robbing. I started taking off some extra supers. I have kept at least one super on the two deeps.


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