Is it too early to harvest?

[fenster]

One of my two hives has filled the super with 90%+ capped already on all ten frames. I added a second super two weeks ago and there is comb started on a few frames. Should I be thinking about harvesting some or all frames in the full super now or is it too early?

 

[drex]

If it is ready then you can harvest it. Does not matter what the date is. Personally I could not be bothered to get the extractor out, then cleaned up for one super of honey, but if it is your first ever honey, go for it
Have you a refractometer?

 

[enrico]

If it is ready then you can harvest it. Does not matter what the date is. Personally I could not be bothered to get the extractor out, then cleaned up for one super of honey, but if it is your first ever honey, go for it
Have you a refractometer?

Each box can be different, go for it!

 

[Beedogg]

This is my first season so maybe I'm over-keen but I've had two supers off this season so far. I extracted around 6 kg last weekend and 9 kg today.

 

[pargyle]

This is my first season so maybe I'm over-keen but I've had two supers off this season so far. I extracted around 6 kg last weekend and 9 kg today.

Well done .... there is nothing more exciting than a sneaky spring crop ... I usually leave mine on and the little beggars eat it all when the weather turns foul in Mid May ... watch out for the June gap as down here it arrives in May these days ! Big colonies making lots of brood get through a lot of stores - keep an eye on how much they have in the brood box or you could starve them - it doesn't take long if they can't get out for any reason and if there's not much forage about.

 

[Boston Bees]

First extraction of the year done yesterday. They've been packing it in, and I want the drawn comb freed up for them to use.

 

[ericbeaumont]

watch out for the June gap as down here it arrives in May these days ! Big colonies making lots of brood get through a lot of stores - keep an eye on how much they have in the brood box

Tempting to extract, but this is good advice.

Double brood usually has a fair bit of honey on board, but singles are at risk of running dry.

Talking of dry: unless we get rain down South, the blackberry and lime may not perform well in July unless we get a good spell of wet weather in May.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Tempting to extract, but this is good advice.

Double brood usually has a fair bit of honey on board, but singles are at risk of running dry.

Talking of dry: unless we get rain down South, the blackberry and lime may not perform well in July unless we get a good spell of wet weather in May.

Forecast for the next couple of weeks for Sussex is distinctly lacking in precipitation!

 

[drex]

So dry here only recently put the first supers on half the hives. At one point they were on knifedge of running out of stores but I reckoned I had the experience to judge it. Worked out OK.

 

[rossbyjove]

One of my two hives has filled the super with 90%+ capped already on all ten frames. I added a second super two weeks ago and there is comb started on a few frames. Should I be thinking about harvesting some or all frames in the full super now or is it too early?

Woman I got my swarm from said she took of eight frames of honey already this year from one hive !