Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
and go below. Then quickly loosen every frame with your hive tool, breaking all bridge
and brace comb and other anomalies. Loosen, too, the whole super so you can move it
easily the next day. Overnight, the bees will clean up any honey from the broken comb
and you won't have leaky, sticky frames to handle and store.
This quick exam also shows just what you'll be harvesting, so you have the right
equipment ready. If the super you have has surplus honey in it (additional to the amount
needed by the bees), whether completely full or with only a few frames, here's how to
remove them quickly, easily, and safely.
• Assemble everything you'll need, check the weather and your neighbor's activity,
and if all's clear, get everything to the colony.
• If you'll be pulling only a few frames, put your container next to your colony, with
the lid off and nearby.
• If removing a whole super, lay down the extra cover or plastic and have the top
ready, on the hive stand or in the cart.
• Prepare the fume board.
• Squirt or spray just barely enough of the repellent on the absorbent material inside.
• Err on the side of too little rather than too much—you can add more, if necessary.
• Don't smoke the front door.
• Do remove the cover, smoke, wait, remove the inner cover, and smoke again. You
want the bees to begin moving down to the super below.
Get all your equipment together before you begin. Use a plastic, tote-type container to
transport individual frames of honey from the beehive to wherever it is that they will be
processed or packaged. Remember, honey is a food and should be treated with respect.
Keep everything it touches clean and tidy. Your family may be eating it tomorrow.
• Waft two or three puffs, and place the fume board on top.
• Wait.
• Wait a little longer.
• Check beneath the fume board to see if there are bees there.
• If not, gently lift the super and look at the bottom. If you see bees, replace the fume
board and wait a bit more.
• If after ten or fifteen minutes there are still bees on the bottom, add a tiny bit more
repellent to the fume board.
• Wait.
