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Honey Dripping From Soffit

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mtnb:
Hi guys.  I went and looked at a future cut out. Bees have been in the soffit on and off since 2010. They didn't mind them there in the past but now honey has started dripping out of the soffit, which is a good 30' off the ground.  Nobody seems to be sure if bees are in there right now. When i had a chance to go look, the weather was bad so I also didn't see any bees.

What would cause the honey to suddenly start dripping? ...It's not like it's been warm enough here yet to melt wax.

The gent would like some of the honey after the cut out. How much would be fair to give him? (I told him I'd charge $50/hr but I also thought I'd get a colony out of it.)

BeeMaster2:
Yvonne,
more than likely the honey is dripping because SHB have taken over the hive and slimmed it. I once did a trap out on an outside wall above a brick wall and the inside wall had honey and SHB  larvae dripping out from under 8'  of crown molding. She was cleaning it up for 3 weeks. I had to cut open the floor in the room above it and remove the hive and remove the crown molding. $50 dollars an hour is a good price.
Most of the honey will not be any good.
Jim

mtnb:
Ok. Thanks Jim. I didn't think of that. I have no issues with shb here. I saw a larvae last year once but the bees must have taken care of it because i never saw any signs of them since. Would the honey still be good to feed to my own bees? At least I bet I'll get lots of wax for candles. :)

mtnb:
Also, how will i know if the honey is good or not? Just by the taste?

BeeMaster2:
Honey that is dripping from an undamaged  cell is probably fouled by the SHB larvae. You may have some frames that are ok if the bees kept them protected. You can try tasting it but I usually go by looks. It is usually dripping and looks slimmed.
Jim

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