No. The problem with that is that if the capping remains in place then the bees won't know the frame is empty so won't refill it. The frame would have to be removed and new foundation put in I would think, which would disturb the bees. Also it wouldn't work with partially set honey.
As bees tend to store honey in the top of a hive a 'super' is usually added anyway and all that has to be done is remove the super. No bees need to be harmed, they are not made homeless, and yes, they do object, but a little smoke is all that is required by most hives. The only hives where it isn't are the really nasty ones and I suspect that using this method wouldn't help a lot.
gz
Joined: 23 Jan 2009 Posts: 8897 Location: Ayrshire, Scotland
Posted: Wed Jun 28, 23 7:32 am Post subject:
Interesting.
I have messaged another beek and she pointed out that it wouldn't work with heather or rapeseed honey as they are physically different,
The bees seem to carry on in our NZ hives..I have messaged them to see if these are the ones they use, but she only goes on the computer occasionally...4 kids, bees, large garden, chooks, small campervan business......!!
I would agree about heather and rapeseed. Heather is thixotropic, so will just sit there and look at you as a gel if not agitated. Rapeseed will set as hard as rock; in fact there was a type of honey harvested in the summer called 'stone honey' in the 17th century. Even then the bees weren't necessarily killed to get it, but two skeps were put open end to open end during the night and tied in a large cloth, then two women were employed to beat the sides of the old skep (which was at the bottom) to make the bees move up into the new hive. Once that was done, the new hive was placed exactly where the old one was and they carried on. The honey could then be cut out of the old hive.
to beat the sides even in a large cloth for the beating part, that has plenty of tragic comedy potential
that has my vote for worst job in history, unless they were well schooled and very careful
2 random women who need a few shillings beating a beehive might be good public entertainment in the days before telly, but so was bear-baiting and martyrdom
wow, if anyone is going to try it to test the historical accuracy and details, please make it a multi camera video shoot
a bit of living history is one thing, slapping a beehive is something else
The cloth was supposed to keep the bees in and the idea was that they would walk happily from one hive to another. This was done at night btw. In the UK there doesn't seem to be any evidence for people wearing any protection when handling bees apart from covering the hair and perhaps wearing gloves. There is evidence for bees suits on the Continent though.
At the end of the season the hives were 'hefted' to see which were the heaviest and which the lightest. The lightest were less likely to get through the winter so were selected to cull and get the honey and the heaviest were also culled as they would have the most honey and wax. The wax was as valuable, if not more valuable, than the honey. It was used for candles (high class ones), and making copies of anything that needed casting so that clay could be put round it and then it melted or burnt out; the 'lost wax' process.
i thought they would do it at night, but at some point they need unwrapping and might not be too happy at being made refugees while their cousins are murdered
"those fancy continentals with their fancy bee ppe, all our Ena needs is the hair net over her rollers and a stern bulldog expression"
even in a large cloth for the beating part, that has plenty of tragic comedy potential
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