To extract or not to extract

[b.lambert]

Took supers from hive yesterday. Some of the frames are capped on one side and not on the other and they are bulging there is no honey running out if this were the case I would have put them back. Anyway have managed to extract one super, do I just put the other back on the hive in the hope that they will cap it and place empty frames for them to clean on bottom?

[The Drone Ranger]

Its worth buying a simple refractometer because it will last a lifetime and can measure the water content in the honey.
That tells you 2 important things
1) whether you can sell the honey
2) whether the honey will ferment if you store it.

You want one that reads in % Moisture content (there are some which are calibrated in the Brix scale)
You want ATC that's automatic temperature compensation (most are)

A google search or Ebay will find you a supplier (I can't post one here)
I wouldn't buy one from Hong Kong if I were you so expect to pay around £50

[gavin]

A google search or Ebay will find you a supplier (I can't post one here)

This forum allows helpful links. I removed links to sites selling imported queens because of SBA policy and because I have issues (as explained privately) with the business ethics of one of the two you cited. So I have nothing against links to sites selling refractometers.

The simple and cheaper answer for you B is ...

- just risk it and use up the honey from open comb faster, or
- if you have a domestic dehumidifier, put it and the super in a room for a few days, or
- put it back until the bees are finished

I put extracted supers on top simply because it is easier. Over the crown board and over the open feed hole usually does the job.

[The Drone Ranger]

The simple and cheaper answer for you B is ...

- just risk it.

not if your selling the honey it isn't

[Trog]

It wasn't clear from the original post whether b tested the uncapped side of the comb by holding it upside down at a slight angle and giving it a good hard shake to see if any honey flew out. That's a quick and easy check (though somewhat messy if it's still nectar, not honey )

[The Drone Ranger]

It wasn't clear from the original post whether b tested the uncapped side of the comb by holding it upside down at a slight angle and giving it a good hard shake to see if any honey flew out. That's a quick and easy check (though somewhat messy if it's still nectar, not honey )

Hi Trog

Last year I had a lot of honey from the oilseed rape.
Extracting was a hot sweaty tiring business so I was lazy and took a chance with the half capped combs.
There is always a balance between getting it off too early or too late because it can and will set solid.
I have the refractometer tool to measure with but skipped that and extracted the combs filling the honey buckets with honey from more than one super.

Net result around 100lbs of the crop fermented in the buckets -- luckily that was only a portion of the total crop but I kicked myself anyway.

Re drying with the de humidifier I read that article in Beecraft as well but I don't have one of those and dehumidifying anything would probably work best in a sealed room not our kitchen or back porch.

When you just want the honey for yourself its not a problem but if you want to sell it then its best if the jars don't explode in someone's cupboard

I think the refractometer is cheaper than a dehumidifier anyway.
You won't be troubled with oilseed rape just the lovely heather honey I suppose ?

[Trog]

Hi Droney

Think I'd give up bees if we had osr anywhere near! Horrid stuff! However, the shaking trick was one we were shown in Hampshire where a lot of the members of the assoc had lots of osr around them. We don't get much of the heather honey as the girls get most of it but we do scrape it out of any frames we extract. The rest is clover, wild flowers/trees/fruit trees & bushes, bramble, garden perennials, etc ... tastes amazing!

[lindsay s]

Here’s a link to my post about using a dehumidifier last year.
http://www.sbai.org.uk/sbai_forum/sh...d-honey&p=2006

It worked better than I expected but don’t overdo the drying or the honey gets very viscous and is harder to extract. I blended the dehumidified honey with my other honey and it has kept fine. I think anyone who sells honey should have a refractometer to comply with the regulations and for peace of mind. I have heard stories about a beekeeper (now deceased ) who always extracted his honey before it was sealed, you wouldn’t get away with that nowadays.

[The Drone Ranger]

Hi Droney

Think I'd give up bees if we had osr anywhere near! Horrid stuff! However, the shaking trick was one we were shown in Hampshire where a lot of the members of the assoc had lots of osr around them. We don't get much of the heather honey as the girls get most of it but we do scrape it out of any frames we extract. The rest is clover, wild flowers/trees/fruit trees & bushes, bramble, garden perennials, etc ... tastes amazing!

You Lucky lucky lucky people

Thing about shaking you have different shakes

There was the hippy hippy shake

and OutKast's "Hey Ya!" shake it like a polaroid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ytxZdmSqr0

Shakin Stevens

All different whereas Rockin Refractometer only knows Johnny Cash "I'll Walk the line"

Has Mull got trees then thats something I didn't know I though you were treeless

Turns out there were loads of trees and walking sticks by the look of this pic
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?cli...,1.235962&z=10

[The Drone Ranger]

This forum allows helpful links. I removed links to sites selling imported queens because of SBA policy and because I have issues (as explained privately) with the business ethics of one of the two you cited. So I have nothing against links to sites selling refractometers.

Thing is Gavin I didn't post links to those companies I simply named them in a post there was no hyperlink.
And as I pointed out to you (privately) one of those companies regularily used to advertise in "Scottish Beekeeper" the magazine of the SBA which is of course where I originally heard of them.
Nuff said

http://www.refractometers.com/index....roducts_id=12]
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Honey-Suga...item2a0a8a3b73