What if we let the Honey Drip… and just see what happens next?
If Honey is allowed to Drip, especially after it’s been harvested, it will attract a swarm of bees, wasps, and other insects and potentially wildlife, creating a chaotic free-for-all. This could result in increased robbery (bees from other hives stealing Honey) and disease transmission between colonies. For the bees, the Drips are seen as a bonus, with them working to clean up the frames and clean out the sticky mess.
If honey drips from a hive, bees from other hives will likely swarm to claim it, which can lead to a “honey-dripping free-for-all” and transmit diseases and parasites like mites to your own bees. It also attracts other pests, such as wasps, and can draw larger animals like raccoons or opossums, putting your apiary at risk. To avoid this, beekeepers prevent honey drips to prevent robbing and to keep their bees healthy and safe.
I. Why Honey Drips are a problem for beekeepers? Here’s what happens:
Drawn to the scent: The sweet smell of uncapped Honey attracts many foragers to the source of the Drip.
Disease Transmission: Bees from different colonies may come into contact with each other, potentially transmitting pathogens such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites.
(The honey drips act as a shared food source, allowing pathogens like bacteria, viruses, and fungi to spread. )
Robbing and Conflict: When a hive has uncapped Honey Dripping, it is a prime target for bees from other, potentially weaker hives, leading to robbing and conflict.
Attracting Pests: In addition to bees, other insects like wasps and hornets, as well as potentially animals such as raccoons, possums, or dogs, may also be drawn to the Drips.
(Drips also draw other insects, including robber bees from other hives and potentially harmful wasps and hornets, that can become aggressive or even attack your bees.)
Animal interference: Drips can attract larger pests such as raccoons, opossums, and dogs, which may become regular visitors to your apiary if they find a sweet reward.
II. How beekeepers deal (manage) with Honey Drips:
Prevention: Beekeepers take steps to prevent honey from dripping in the first place.
Cleaning up: Beekeepers will return the frames to the hive to allow the bees to clean up the Drips and then return the clean, dry frames for reuse.
(Any drips that occur are quickly cleaned up to eliminate the source of attraction.)
Returning frames: Beekeepers put the empty frames back in a super and on the hives for a few days to give the bees time to clean them.
Proper storage: After cleaning, the empty frames are removed and stored, often in a freezer, to prevent pests like wax moths from damaging them.
Feeding back to bees: In some cases, beekeepers will place the “wet” frames back into the hive for a short period, allowing the bees to clean and store the honey, a practice called «feeding back».
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