Honey extraction

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Paddywhack

New Bee
Joined
Jun 21, 2017
Messages
2
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Location
High wycombe
Hive Type
None
So it's my first hive, and the ladies have been good to me, and I have what appears to be 2 full supers, have a couple of questions.

1. When's the right time, I'm in high wycombe and not sure if I'm supposed to start now or is there a "marker" I'm suppose to look for that tells me I should start the harvest?
2. I appear to have a semi circle on most super frame that are uncapped about 4 inches across centrally on the frame. Firstly why? What have I done wrong? Secondly is it safe to extract.

I've swapped the two supers over from top to bottom today just to make things easier for the bees is this right? First super is more full than the second I added.

thanks in advance

Jon
 
Most people extract at end of oil seed rape in may/June and again in late August unless they run out of supers or are harvesting single flower honey.
Apart from OSR extract when it is capped. My bees don't seem to cap whole frames but I shake test, hold frame flat to floor and sharp shake down. Lots of drips means it isn't ready. It is worth using a refractometer once off the hive to check it is below 20% water and preferably around 17%.
If a frame isn't ready give it back to the bees.


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i have also observed this semi circle of uncapped stores in my super. Just yesterday I noticed that the stores have now been moved with a band of pollen being added.

i have drawn the conclusion that the girls are making room for brood expansion. Perhaps yours are leaving the stores uncapped in case they need to do the same?

Or i guess it could be a case that the girls are munching through the stores that are nearest the brood?

Dan
 
They store pollen in the first super when there is not enough room for them to store it in the brood box. ? Time for more brood space?
 
If you do use a refractometer, take several samples. One may be over but if most are under then remember it all gets mixed up and the final reading will be somewhere in the middle! As long as the reading is not so over that it separates of course. Hope that makes sense!
E
 
Thanks all, some good pointers, I'll have a look at adding more Brood box and see if it resolves itself. In all honesty I've been surprised how quickly they have built comb and filled it up! Order a refractomoter last night and will possibly look at harvesting some honey next weekend but will add the additional brood box tomorrow night if weather allows.

Cheers

Jon
 
When I was in your position I went to brood and half. Worked it for couple of years, but a real pain. Now run double brood (standard nationals) as needed. Much easier.
 
When I was in your position I went to brood and half. Worked it for couple of years, but a real pain. Now run double brood (standard nationals) as needed. Much easier.



Same here makes for tall hives, so if I was starting again I would go 14x12


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Same here makes for tall hives, so if I was starting again I would go 14x12


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:yeahthat::yeahthat:I / We did go 14x12 from the start and we've had no brood space issues.

I've got health issues but the bees have enough room to sort themselves out, I don't need to worry should I add another brood box.
 

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