Can I take some honey now

[Big ears]

Hi, first year this year and have gone from one colony to seven due to swarm traps and generous fellow beekeepers.
My best hive has now three supers and looking like it might need more space. I’m running out of kit and wonder rather than buy more can I take one if the supers off now (very heavy fully sealed) if ripe, extract honey then put wet super back on same hive?

Thanks for your help.

BE

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

yes, go for it

 

[Big ears]

yes, go for it

That’s the answer I wanted

 

[enrico]

Dont forget to keep a jar with the year in and never open it

 

[ericbeaumont]

put wet super back on same hive

Yes, go for it, but put it back late in the day when flying is over, to avoid the risk of attracting robbers with the smell of honey. Mind you, if there's a flow on robbers are less likely, but best to develop good practice.

 

[Moody]

Hi
Is it best practice during this flow to extract capped honey as and when ready and then return to hive for bees to clean and refill?

Will you get % wasteage when extracting (honey residue in extractor/tools/sive etc)

I have a hive with 3 supers all filled but not capped. Need to buy more as was told not to expect much honey in first year.

What's does everyone recommend?

 

[Ian123]

Hi
Is it best practice during this flow to extract capped honey as and when ready and then return to hive for bees to clean and refill?

Will you get % wasteage when extracting (honey residue in extractor/tools/sive
I have a hive with 3 supers all filled but not capped. Need to buy more as was told not to expect much honey in first year.

What's does everyone recommend?

Best practice would be enough boxes for them to fill, but then very few will actually have enough kit I’d consider another box asap or get some extracted and back on fast, choice is yours
There’s always some wastage.

 

[enrico]

It depends on lots! I can remove the spinning basket and scrape the honey off the sides of the plastic spinner with a silicon spatula leaving hardly any waste. Likewise with the sieve but at the end of the day it does need cleaning so there is time wasted on cleaning on every extraction.some spinners cannot be taken apart so waste us more. I like the different textures and tastes from different crops and my time is my own so no problem. I also find it is less harrowing in smallish batches. I usually do about three boxes at once. Horses for courses really!

 

[Erichalfbee]

I extract single boxes only if I’ve run out of kit.

 

[drex]

With all the faff of setting up and clearing up I try to do it all in one go. For the first time I am out of boxes, so might have to do an early and late summer extraction. Might go against my usual principles and take stores out of brood box and let them refill it and keep it to winter on.

 

[Moody]

With all the faff of setting up and clearing up I try to do it all in one go. For the first time I am out of boxes, so might have to do an early and late summer extraction. Might go against my usual principles and take stores out of brood box and let them refill it and keep it to winter on.

Yes I have a Q- colony which has packed the brood nest with stores. (Saw a virgin queen emerge today).

Should I swap with a new box of foundation // Add another deep on top of existing?

How do you store the frames until winter?