March 21

Lesson 22 Extracting the Honey, Processing and Making New Products

Extracting the Honey, Processing and Making New Products

 

Tonight should be interesting as we learn how to get the payback for helping our pollinators. I am proud of our MHSEABS (Mount Holly Smith Educational Apiary Bee School.

The day before the harvest you need to have a good idea of what you are harvesting.  This is a good time to check condition of your frames.

Be sure your smoker operational and have plenty of fuel.

There will be a good bit of wax and propelus to break apart. You may want to do this the day before the harvest

Be sure all of your equipment is ready. A wagon or some carrying device is wise to have along with you.

A bee brush is really essential to move the bees out of the way and prevent them from stacking up.

Keep your extractor in prestige equipment. Should be well maintained and cleaned after each extraction.

Take a look at your weather when you extract. Wind can work against you.

Using is fume board to move the bees down. (I use a natural walnut extract…smells great to us, but bees hate it.)

Do not smoke the front of hive once you add fume board as this will drive them back up.

Have a plastic cover to place on the ground so you can place supers on this rather than the ground.

If the entire super is not filled, just take out the ones that are good and be sure to replace with empty frames.

Place these frames you are taking in an air-tight box.

Continue to move to the next super and making your harvest.

A good way to collect is using empty supers to place frames of Honey with your lid to cover as you harvest.

Always have a bottle of fresh sugar water to calm the bees as needed.

A 5 gallon pail of Honey will weigh about 60 pounds after extraction.
if you are using the GCBA extraction equipment…remember to schedule.

Set up….Extract….Cleanup

Videos:

 

 

 

Using Your Honey and Wax!