View Full Version : First time extracting
loryb
07-01-2005, 07:01 PM
Hello, I have at least one fully capped super of honey on a hive with 4 supers on. I feel silly asking this but the capped one is no. 2 with 2 supers above it, how would I go about removing this super? Just pull the whole thing off and then brush the bees off frame by frame? Should I shift it to the top?
I will be extracting by hand since I only have two hives, any advice on the most efficient way to do this? This was supposed to be covered in my beekeeping class but their hives were vandalized and then succumbed to SHB, so no extracting class to go to. Thanks.
Lory, it will be important unless you have a strong honey flow when you pull the honey to have a 2 extra top covers for the super you are pulling. All you need to do is to remove the top cover inverting it on the ground, setting the 2 upper supers on top of it on. Since you only have 1 super to pull simply remove the frames and shake the bees in front of the entrance. Then lean them against the back of the hive or whatever is close but not in front of the hive. Remove the empty super, shake and brush the bees on the ground in front of the hive and set it on the extra cover you brought along. Now brush the few remaining bees off the frames placing them in the empty super. Once completed place the other lid on the super to keep out robbing bees. Replace the 2 supers you removed, the hive cover, and off you go with your honey. Should only take about 15 minutes.
I have found brushing bees off honey frames difficult at times. What works for me is flicking them off with the brush. Actually brushing them only makes them mad.
beedeetee
07-02-2005, 11:22 PM
If this hive is at your house, this is what I do. After dinner while the bees are still flying, but slowing down, I pull the super that I want and prop it up in front of the hive that it came from.
In the morning before the bees start flying, I go out and get it. Normally, there are only a couple of bees left in the super.
If this super has comb with honey between it and the super above or below, you need to be more careful because when you break the super free, open honey will be available for robbing. But of course that it why I wait until the bees are nearly home for the evening.
Walt McBride
07-03-2005, 01:04 AM
If your hive or hives are at your home and you find that you have a lot of burr comb with honey in it between the boxes, put the box back on the hive after turning it 180 deg. then remove it the next day. The burr comb will be dry.
If you use a bee brush to remove bees from the combs, try weting the brush with water, the bees seem to not get upset with the brush being wet.
Walt
Michael Bush
07-03-2005, 01:16 PM
Getting bees off with brushing or shaking isn't that hard but it requires something you have trained yourself not to do with bees. Do something suddenly and with athority. As mentioned you flick with the brush, you DO NOT brush gently. You shake suddenly. As suddenly as you can. There are many techniques for shaking bees and they all require some practice, but an downward movement with a sudden stop is common. These don't work with foundationless or starter strips unless the comb is very well attached and aged some. I'd be hesitant to do them with thin surplus foundation as well. I put them on a triangular bee escape and wait overnight and brush the rest off.
One other quick item is I mentioned shaking the bees at the entrance you should brush there also so the bees will, due to orientation, return to the hive rather than chase you.
One other quick item is I mentioned shaking the bees at the entrance you should brush there also so the bees will, due to orientation, return to the hive rather than chase you.