The joys of extracting

[drex]

Just finished my extracting. Spoke to a friend yesterday who I introduced to beekeeping a couple of years ago, with his two hives. He told of his joy of extracting. I did nothing but moan.
Those of you who have a decent number of hives, and extract manually might relate to my moaning about the hot, sticky, heavy task it is.
So this morning while cutting the capping off my last 5 boxes, I was looking for joy.
I found joy in:
1. A nice full frame with pure white cappings
2. Removing capping from a frame that was new foundation this spring.
3. Hitting the air gap under the capping with the knife, so you are not dragging it through honey.
4. All frames were sealed, so I did not have to mess with refractometer. ( the buckets will be checked later).
5. Few wasps to contend with.
6. I have finished. Only the extractor left to clean ( hosepipe).
7. A bumper crop. Best ever. Thought it might be crap since I had no spring crop
Just got to take the boxes back to apiary now.
Perhaps you can post a few of your own joys.

 

[Wilco]

Just finished my extracting. Spoke to a friend yesterday who I introduced to beekeeping a couple of years ago, with his two hives. He told of his joy of extracting. I did nothing but moan.
Those of you who have a decent number of hives, and extract manually might relate to my moaning about the hot, sticky, heavy task it is.
So this morning while cutting the capping off my last 5 boxes, I was looking for joy.
I found joy in:
1. A nice full frame with pure white cappings
2. Removing capping from a frame that was new foundation this spring.
3. Hitting the air gap under the capping with the knife, so you are not dragging it through honey.
4. All frames were sealed, so I did not have to mess with refractometer. ( the buckets will be checked later).
5. Few wasps to contend with.
6. I have finished. Only the extractor left to clean ( hosepipe).
7. A bumper crop. Best ever. Thought it might be crap since I had no spring crop
Just got to take the boxes back to apiary now.
Perhaps you can post a few of your own joys.

Agree with those when they work!

The other day I was pleased with a few like this and will raise you that some were fully capped having been foundationless mid season.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Joy and Extracting are not two words that I usually put together.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Maybe when it’s finished ?

 

[enrico]

I love it ever since I started using a hot air gun.
It always amazes me how much honey you can get from one super.
The first taste is heaven
A load of jars of clear honey all in a mass appeal to my hoarding instinct. All ready for winter! A bit like a barn full of logs! And a cupboard full of jam!
The bit I don't like? Losing the bloody ball bearing down the plug hole!

 

[Parsonage Bees]

I hate my extractor. It was cheap and every time I use it or wash it I end up wounded from all the sharp edges. I swear you can probably DNA test my honey as being mine.
I like being a bee keeper rather than a food producer. Honey extraction. Worst part of bee keeping.
. . . . . Ben

 

[enrico]

I hate my extractor. It was cheap and every time I use it or wash it I end up wounded from all the sharp edges. I swear you can probably DNA test my honey as being mine.
I like being a bee keeper rather than a food producer. Honey extraction. Worst part of bee keeping.
. . . . . Ben

Bet it was a konigin! I nearly needed a blood transfusion!

 

[Hedgerow Honey]

I also hate extraction, quite like honey, but getting it from the hives to the jar is a pain that I can well do without.
Most of my childhood recollection seems to be getting chained to an old tin plate spinner (manual), why the smallest member of the family (me) got nominated to turn the handle I have never figured. If at any point I got tired, or even hinted as much, a cup of tea and piece of comb would be presented, to keep me going !!!.
SWMBO does a far better job than myself these days now she has mastered the uncapper.

 

[Nannysbees]

I also hate extraction, quite like honey, but getting it from the hives to the jar is a pain that I can well do without.
Most of my childhood recollection seems to be getting chained to an old tin plate spinner (manual), why the smallest member of the family (me) got nominated to turn the handle I have never figured. If at any point I got tired, or even hinted as much, a cup of tea and piece of comb would be presented, to keep me going !!!.
SWMBO does a far better job than myself these days now she has mastered the uncapper.

I usually uncapped and my husband spins, but I love every minute of it. Our mentor used to offer a service of extracting for beeks, maybe find someone to do it for you?

 

[roche]

SWMBO says - cleaning the extractor down. The job is done...

 

[Kaz]

I still quite enjoy extracting but with a bumper crop this year found it hard work and tiring, and now understand those that moan. The joy though of seeing the variations in colour and volume of each super, but to top it all, selling both my 8- frame manual extractor and 4- frame electric extractor, with the promise of a bigger electric one for next year
Ps i can also now boast popeye shoulders

 

[Curly green finger's]

Had enough of extracting 1686 lbs of summer honey so far and two apiary’s left to extract from , wish now I had a 20 frame electric not a 12.

 

[pargyle]

Had enough of extracting 1686 lbs of summer honey so far and two apiary’s left to extract from , wish now I had a 20 frame electric not a 12.

Not a very good year for you then Mark ? You won't see a return on your investment in a 100 hives with that sort of return. The heather is not going to be much either by all accounts. Still you've done well ... I'm looking at between 200 and 300lbs from my little apiary if they don't eat it all before I get extracting !

 

[Wilco]

Not a very good year for you then Mark ? You won't see a return on your investment in a 100 hives with that sort of return. The heather is not going to be much either by all accounts. Still you've done well ... I'm looking at between 200 and 300lbs from my little apiary if they don't eat it all before I get extracting !

That's summer so may have had a separate spring extraction. Two sites to go still out of about six based on what he's said before so may only be just past halfway for this extraction.... @Curly green finger's ?

 

[Curly green finger's]

That's summer so may have had a separate spring extraction. Two sites to go still out of about six based on what he's said before so may only be just past halfway for this extraction.... @Curly green finger's ?

Spring harvest was 614 lbs 40 production colony’s for summer 12 left to extract from plus im hiving up 10 nucs that are 3x 6 frame nucs top boxes are all honey .
A few demareed colony’s still going hopefully the heather helps finish them of .
30 colony’s on the moors mixed sizes, heather is looking good not scorched at all

 

[Wilco]

Spring harvest was 614 lbs 40 production colony’s for summer 12 left to extract from plus im hiving up 10 nucs that are 3x 6 frame nucs top boxes are all honey .
A few demareed colony’s still going hopefully the heather helps finish them of .
30 colony’s on the moors mixed sizes, heather is looking good not scorched at allView attachment 33317

Lucky sod with the heather. Serious envy from me!

 

[Curly green finger's]

Lucky sod with the heather. Serious envy from me!

Very lucky indeed

 

[Susan1]

Spent yesterday trying to lift full supers which were supposed to be cleared. Really heavy and had to brush loads of bees of as porter bee escapes didn't work. Well actually I think some bees just didn't want to escape.
Then made up another super.
Today made up super frames and added it to a hive, cleaned out brood boxes and nuc boxes and feeders. Haven't even started extraction yet.
Luckily? Only about 4 or 5 supers to actually extract. Nice relaxing hobby for my retirement lol.

 

[Amari]

Just finished my extracting. Spoke to a friend yesterday who I introduced to beekeeping a couple of years ago, with his two hives. He told of his joy of extracting. I did nothing but moan.
Those of you who have a decent number of hives, and extract manually might relate to my moaning about the hot, sticky, heavy task it is.
So this morning while cutting the capping off my last 5 boxes, I was looking for joy.
I found joy in:
1. A nice full frame with pure white cappings
2. Removing capping from a frame that was new foundation this spring.
3. Hitting the air gap under the capping with the knife, so you are not dragging it through honey.
4. All frames were sealed, so I did not have to mess with refractometer. ( the buckets will be checked later).
5. Few wasps to contend with.
6. I have finished. Only the extractor left to clean ( hosepipe).
7. A bumper crop. Best ever. Thought it might be crap since I had no spring crop
Just got to take the boxes back to apiary now.
Perhaps you can post a few of your own joys.

It' strange world Drex! We are only c. 45 miles apart, yet:

7. I had a bumper spring crop (OSR which I know you didn't have this year) but very poor summer crop. I attribute the latter to dearth of nectar due to the severe drought and some of my hives caught CBPV late April and are slow to recover.

5. "Very few wasps" !!!! All areas around here are heavily plagued with wasps including the apiaries of all the beekeepers I know. The portent was the large number of Q wasps earlier in the year. Worst year for wasps since 2009.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

had to brush loads of bees of as porter bee escapes didn't work.

It's what Porters do best - not work
Best place for them is the bin, get yourself some rhombus escapes.