# Extracting all the honey or leave some?



## jassytoo (May 14, 2003)

We have 2 hives with a large honey super and a western super on each. We are debating should we take all the honey and feed during the winter or leave the westerns for the bees. If we leave the westerns we won't have to open the hive to feed so many times during the cold weather. Since we use the mite strips in the winter would that western super be contaminated for future use as food honey? We don't need the extra honey this year but in the future we might so I don't want to contaminate the westerns just because we decide to leave them in this one year. On the other hand the honey has got to be better for the bees than the fructose mixture, I would think. What do you do?


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## rainesridgefarm (Dec 1, 2002)

Honey is always better then sugar. If you put strips in you can never use those frames for honey because the wax absorbs the chemicals. For your total hive how many brood boxes do you have? How many honey supers do you have? If you have two deeps for the brood boxes take off everything above that and they should be fine. I would still feed some to make sure they have 120 lbs to get through the winter. good luck


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## Billy Bob131 (May 11, 2004)

The bees worked real hard for that honey. Then you need to ask yourself are you a beekeeper?

The honey is better for the bees. Leave some for them.

BB


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