Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Leaving some amount of honey may be part of the deal, along with the cappings
wax, or there may be a simple per-pound charge for the task. Often you can purchase
beeswax that has been cleaned and melted, avoiding that task also. Of course it's not
your wax, but beeswax is beeswax, after all. This isn't a free service, so don't expect
that. But with only two or three colonies, justifying the cost of all the equipment needed
to extract and process this small amount of honey and wax can be difficult.
Even if you can't locate someone to do this, visit a beekeeper or two who already
have the equipment. The whole process is complicated enough that a bit of study is war-
ranted before you begin. Take notes and pictures.
Once you have a feel for the workflow design and the equipment you'll need, where
will you set up all this at your house? A basement is often used, because it's inside,
away from the elements, out of the way of others, and there's running water to clean up
with. A walk-in basement can work well because you're not carrying supers down and
then back up stairs.
Kitchens are, or should be, out of the question. Wax, honey, propolis, and bees in the
house seldom make good impressions.
The garage, as long as it's relatively bee-proof, is often used, and you can clean it
later.
The first equipment you need to consider is a way to protect the floor, or better, a
floor with a drain, which allows you to thoroughly wash the floor after extraction.
Supers with frames full of honey are brought in and set on some sort of catch
tray—an overturned telescoping cover works—to keep drips from running out.
If you're doing the extraction work alone, think through the process. Cappings are
removed using a variety of tools but most commonly a type of large knife. For only a
few frames (two or three supers), a serrated bread knife is usually sufficient. For more
frames, a specially designed knife should be used, and for numerous frames (ten or
more supers), a heated knife is best.
The cappings are cut or scraped off into a tub or specially designed tank. Then the
frames are placed in the extractor, spun, removed, and put back in the supers. Each step
needs a plan. Where do the frames go after they are uncapped but before going into the
extractor? They'll fit into one of those tubs, if you have one. What if two people are
working together? Is there room? Can the equipment handle double speed?
When planning your workflow, remember the very true, very sad observation made
years ago by Ohio's Extension Specialist for Apiculture, Dr. James E. Tew: “Most
people get into bee-keeping because of their curiosity about bees, but they leave bee-
keeping because of the nightmare of harvesting honey.”
Nightmare
may be a bit harsh,
but without planning, it can be a headache.
