The joys of extracting

[Amari]

Lucky sod with the heather. Serious envy from me!

I started beekeeping in Romsey in 1972, but moved away two years later. I'm sure I remember taking a hive to the heather in the New Forest - or maybe my memory is shot.

 

[pargyle]

I started beekeeping in Romsey in 1972, but moved away two years later. I'm sure I remember taking a hive to the heather in the New Forest - or maybe my memory is shot.

Yes ... hives are taken to the New Forest .. there are stands of heather and the operation is organised well in advance. You have to apply for yourpermit and are allocated space at a stand.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TAKING HIVES TO THE NEW FOREST HEATHER IN 2022

Registered members of HBA have the privilege of taking a combined maximum of 350 colonies, spread across several areas & enclosures onto the New Forest.

Forestry England (formerly the Forestry Commission) will allow permitted Beekeepers to place their allotted number of hives on the designated sites between 01 July and 31 October.

The Honeybees & Beekeepers often benefit from the heather if it produces a good flow. In 2021 a total of 350 hives from 28 Beekeepers enjoyed taking their Bees for a working holiday with the challenge of dealing with a different type of honey. It is Thixotropic.

Please start to plan now. This will allow time for equipment preparation and reconnaissance as access may require a 4 wheel drive vehicle if the rain starts before you get your Honeybees home. The sites available in the New Forest have variable ease of access: Forestry England will notify the sites that are available for this coming year.

You MUST ensure that you have PUBLIC LIABILITY INSURANCE, which as a fully paid up Registered BBKA member you will have as a benefit.

You MUST ensure that your Honeybees are free from American Foul brood & European Foul brood.

Forestry England reviewed their charges for 2022 these are:

Up to 9 hives Each hive:

£4.20 +VAT set by Forestry England, Plus £1 HBA ( £6.04)

Ten hives or above Each hive:

£7.00 +VAT set by Forestry England, Plus £1 HBA ( £9.40)

HBA administration fee:

£3.00 Ea Beekeeper

Refundable enclosure key deposit:

£30.00

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

On a good year it can be a very good heather honey crop ... however, the really good years are not as common as they used to be and I understand that 2022 was not the best of heather crops for the New Forest. Personally, although it's oniy about 30 miles away for me, the whole palaver or getting colonies there, checking the colonies during the time they are there and then dealing with the heather honey is frankly a PITA. I'm not that committed a masochist !!!

 

[Amari]

Bureaucracy has obviously burgeoned since my day. I'm sure I didn't pay. Can't remember if I got a crop.

 

[Hedgerow Honey]

I loath extracting again, heating element in the sump has blown, trips the main switch when heating switches on. Of course it is full !!!. only eighteen months old and It's fourth extraction session, for the price of stainless kit there should be a better life span.
I will be so glad to see this year over with and just another fading nightmare rememberd.

 

[mbc]

Many thanks
I will give them a call

Anyone have experience of the konigan forty frame or swing cage ?, depending on timing we are considering one of these from Ian as an option.
It is daft relying on one machine, especially as we extract at least four times a year.

We've got a 20 frame radial and a 8 frame swing cage which will take 16 shallows, found its quicker putting all the decent frames through the swing cage konigin machine and any poorly filled frames through the radial machine. The swing cage jobby is by far the better machine.

I loath extracting again, heating element in the sump has blown, trips the main switch when heating switches on. Of course it is full !!!. only eighteen months old and It's fourth extraction session, for the price of stainless kit there should be a better life span.
I will be so glad to see this year over with and just another fading nightmare rememberd.

I feel your pain, enless hours extracting can become joyless and tiring whatever's on the radio

 

[Amari]

It's a good way to expedite thoughts of divorce.

I wonder if the divorce rate of beekeepers is higher than the general population

 

[Hedgerow Honey]

After five years and nine grand ( that is just legal fees) my divorce was finalised three weeks ago

 

[Newbeeneil]

Having now looked at one, I am pretty sure it is under-rated for either the starting load, or temperature or both. It would be interesting to fault find a broken one to identify the problem.

Unfortunately it's not gone wrong since you sorted out the alternative........

 

[mbc]

It's a good way to expedite thoughts of divorce.

I wonder if the divorce rate of beekeepers is higher than the general population

Crikey, this is close to the bone at the moment

 

[mbc]

After five years and nine grand ( that is just legal fees) my divorce was finalised three weeks ago

Good luck for the future

 

[Hedgerow Honey]

 

[Hachi]

I wonder if the divorce rate of beekeepers is higher than the general population

Having been on first name terms with the local Family Courts division for many years [divorce] I can assure you it isn't.

 

[drex]

It's a good way to expedite thoughts of divorce.

I wonder if the divorce rate of beekeepers is higher than the general population

Thats why I converted the summer house into my honey room. Peace returned. She did not mind all the others hours spent on beekeeping but the extracting in her kitchen was just too much

 

[markjadams]

I have the 12 frame radial but I believe all the Konigin machines use the same controller. Although I find the machine brilliant as far as the construction is concerned Thornes have replaced the controller 4 times in the last 3 years (4 year warrenty). I have now come to the conclusion my problem is a dodgy supply in the farm building my honey room is in. If you go for the Konigin ensure the supply is well protected by an anti spike system to prevent controller damage.

I Don't think it's your supply, my honey house has a dedicated supply with surge protection and I have still had 3 controllers in 2 years.

 

[Newbeeneil]

I’ve had 6 in 3 years - I think I’m the record holder at present

 

[Hachi]

So apart from waiting to get your extractors the wrong side of warranty, what are the distributor and manf doing about it? Clearly merchantable quality and or fit for purpose comes into play at some point?

 

[Gilberdyke John]

So apart from waiting to get your extractors the wrong side of warranty, what are the distributor and manf doing about it? Clearly merchantable quality and or fit for purpose comes into play at some point?

Speed control of electric motors "should not" be that difficult to do reliably. Multiple failures such as is being described suggests skimping of component quality or a circuit design shortcoming.
I had occasion a few years ago to struggle with an established model of an Ideal Standard boiler control panel which when I commissioned the boiler would not function correctly. After much to-ing and fro-ing with their technical department it transpired that the printed circuit board manufacture had been farmed out to another company and they had changed one of the components. As a result the response of the system changed dramatically.
Ideal weren't best pleased as they had to trace all the panels sent out since the change took effect.

 

[Amber]

I have the 12 frame radial but I believe all the Konigin machines use the same controller. Although I find the machine brilliant as far as the construction is concerned Thornes have replaced the controller 4 times in the last 3 years (4 year warrenty). I have now come to the conclusion my problem is a dodgy supply in the farm building my honey room is in. If you go for the Konigin ensure the supply is well protected by an anti spike system to prevent controller damage.

I am having problems with a konigan extractor, the control box will not reset and the controls not responsive, appreciate your thoughts please? Suspect the red connector box is ok but not checked yet

 

[Newbeeneil]

I am having problems with a konigan extractor, the control box will not reset and the controls not responsive, appreciate your thoughts please? Suspect the red connector box is ok but not checked yet

If you bought it from Thornes give them call and explain what’s wrong. They have always been very helpful and Derek their electrician knows his stuff.

 

[Amber]

Thanks, It was not purchased through tbornes but wish I had, really do need help with it, I suspect it is the control box but am not sure if we can check it inside, are they easy to replace ? Or are we able to open the box to check the wiring, struggling to find instructions as I only have a 3 page instruction leaflet that only mentions the connector that I suspect is ok but will check that soon.

If you bought it from Thornes give them call and explain what’s wrong. They have always been very helpful and Derek their electrician knows his stuff.

Probl