extracting honey

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spiridoula 8

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After two failures (a hive that swarmed; then a wild swarm that failed), I was very kindly sold a nuc last autumn (thank you, Heather) which has done very well and is now drawing out the foundation in the super I have put on top of the brood box and I will have honey, I think.

My problem is that it is now so long since my mini-course at Plumpton that I can't for the life of me remember what to do next and also what kit I am going to need to get, to get the honey out.

I have the vaguest recollection that there was a bee one way gate that got the bees out of the super. I'll need one of those, I guess. And something to stop bees coming back up. I guess I am going to need another super to put on or the bees are going to get crowded and swarm?

I also recollect that there was a sort of extractor engine. Do I need to buy one of those, or do people rent them. Or borrow them?

Help. Of the most basic kind. Most welcome.

S8
 
The one way gate device you are thinking of is a bee escape. Cushman has a description of many of them. I use a Double Quebec escape board (triangle in triangle escape) and that will normally clear the supers overnight. The board need to be placed under the supers that are going to be extracted and the the next day they can be lifted off and the few remaining bees just brushed off
You could just keep adding honey supers till the season end and then extract all at once.
Don't know how extractor rentals work in the UK, here most clubs have one that can be rented for a nominal fee, our local club is $7 for a day.
 
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Having tried both 'bee escapes' and my patience and mate purchased me some Almond oil and a fume board, a visionary chap!

Much better, couple of squirts, couple of minutes, no bees in super, painless. Thoroughly recommended.
 
that's good news about the supers. Just keep piling them on until I can do a whole session at the end of August. I just have the one hive so I don't want to make a complete mess of it all.

Almond oil and a fume board. I shall have to look that up.

Thanks.

S8
 
Having tried both 'bee escapes' and my patience and mate purchased me some Almond oil and a fume board, a visionary chap!

Much better, couple of squirts, couple of minutes, no bees in super, painless. Thoroughly recommended.

Interesting. I made up a clearer board with one of the 6 ways escapes from a well known company. After 6 hours - nothing, after 12 hours virtually nothing. I guess a few bees wandered downstairs out of sheer boredom but I was disappointed with the result. I'm fairly sure I made it up correctly ( including a 5cm eke underneath for them to cluster). Anyone else had experience of these?

End up most of the time shaking the majority of the bees off and then just a light brushing off the remainder, but will certainly look into a fume board.
 
I just use 2 Porter bee escapes and leave for 24 hrs. Never have any probs.
Cazza
 
You can always pop round for a chat and see what method I use if you need to. Here to help. :cheers2: And I have an extractor - for a nice bottle of wine:cheers2::cheers2:
 
Thanks, Heather. I have put on another super. The first one is filling nicely. We did have a huge rape field nearby, but none of the honey from that went into the supers. What does "concert" mean?
 
yes, concrete, sorry, long hard week, and a brain in switching off mode ... lol

Rich
 
Thanks, Rich. You had me utterly baffled.

Anyhow, super 2 is on and I shall select something pleasant for Heather from the cellar.

This is v exciting.

S8
 
spirididoula 8.

I really do think a book might be of great assistance to you. If you are asking these questions your typing time might be better spent reading.

Not being in any way offensive, just trying to point you in the right direction of travel.

PH
 
Having tried both 'bee escapes' and my patience and mate purchased me some Almond oil and a fume board, a visionary chap!

Much better, couple of squirts, couple of minutes, no bees in super, painless. Thoroughly recommended.


Are there any plans/drawings on how to make or use a 'fume' board anywhere? If necessary I will buy one but having looked, Thxxnes seem to be the only place that has them for sale and they have recently pxxxed me off.

Thinking of giving it a go this year as I have a lot of supers (lucky me) to remove and find bee escapes too slow and inefficient.
Many Thanks
 
My fume board did come from Thornes, it has a metal roof (paint it black to increase heat build up and vaporisation of the almond oil).

You could make one very easily along the lines of a crown board with deeper sides and then have a piece of ply inside around which the hessian cloth is stretched.

Thornes one used for the first time for my Spring 2010 harvest and as previously posted it worked superbly well. It was not warm enough for the metal roof to have an appreciable warming effect (my opinion anyway), on that basis I would consider knocking one up as para 2. You could always cut out the wooden top and retro fit a metal plate to upgrade later.
 
My fume board did come from Thornes, it has a metal roof (paint it black to increase heat build up and vaporisation of the almond oil).

You could make one very easily along the lines of a crown board with deeper sides and then have a piece of ply inside around which the hessian cloth is stretched.

Thornes one used for the first time for my Spring 2010 harvest and as previously posted it worked superbly well. It was not warm enough for the metal roof to have an appreciable warming effect (my opinion anyway), on that basis I would consider knocking one up as para 2. You could always cut out the wooden top and retro fit a metal plate to upgrade later.

Many thanks will try and make one first and if it doesnt work maybe have to bite me tongue and order one.
 
Have used porter escapes but now just gently brush the girls off the frames in-front of the hive. Actually find this is ok as my porter escapes always left bees in.

Interested in the oil and fume board comment though...
can you recommend a supplier?
All the best,
Sam
 
Thats what I'm going to try this year.
 
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