Capping scratcher: how to use properly?

[Kishwaukee Goldminer]

I'm a new beekeeper who tried a capping scratcher only to find that it didn't open all the cells well, and it seemed to tear up the comb.
(1) How much 'tearing up the comb' will bees tolerate?
(2) What's the 'proper' way to use a capping scratcher?
Thanks!

[power napper]

Hi KG, welcome to the forum, the cappings scratcher does sort of rip n tear at the cappings especially if the honey has started to granulate. We just drag it across the comb cappings over a container with the frame balanced on its side--some use a board with the pointed nail sticking up to rotate and balance the frame on. Hope that helps

[Michael Bush]

>(1) How much 'tearing up the comb' will bees tolerate?

They will fix it. Obviously the less it's torn up the less work they have to do.

>(2) What's the 'proper' way to use a capping scratcher?

Slip the points UNDER the caps and lift the caps off of the comb.

[Michael Bush]

If you're trying to stay away from a hot knife, maybe you should just try a bread knife or a Hackler Honey Punch.

[rainesridgefarm]

I did not know there was gold in that river unless you mean liquid gold from your bees. I would just scrape it across the tops. you want to use very light pressure on a angle to just get the cappings off. Call me if you want more you have my number.

[amymcg]

Betterbee sells a cold knife that has a serrated edge. Very nice. Very sharp. I peeled off some of my frame with the cappings when I extracted

[Roger Porter]

I'm a new beekeeper who tried a capping scratcher only to find that it didn't open all the cells well, and it seemed to tear up the comb.
(1) How much 'tearing up the comb' will bees tolerate?
(2) What's the 'proper' way to use a capping scratcher?
Thanks!

We just finished over 300 frames by pointing the tines toward the cappings and dragging them across, perforating every cap. We scratched the long way first, standing the frame on end, then back across the frame to be sure to scratch every cell cap. This is way preferable to the wasting of wax using our jiggle knife, and keeps the honey away from any heated metal. We probably have two cups of cappings left over, so the bees will not have to replace any cell sides. You can do it!

[KQ6AR]

Last 2 years we used the cheaper scratcher, & where disappointed. This year I ordered the more expensive one, the needles are sharper & it did a better job.
Also as you're comb gets older it won't damage as easily as new comb.

[odfrank]

[QUOTE=Michael Bush;192434 What's the 'proper' way to use a capping scratcher?
Slip the points UNDER the caps and lift the caps off of the comb.[/QUOTE]

Its a CAPPINGS SCRATCHER, not a capping lifter.
Michael you give a lot of funky advice, bit this is inexcusable. How much honey do you extract every year? I can't believe very much. If I "lifted" the cappings off of every lowspot I would never finish.

SCRATCH, rip, tear, gouge and dig. The bees repair it. It's a honey comb, not brood.

[Michael Bush]

>Its a CAPPINGS SCRATCHER, not a capping lifter.
Michael you give a lot of funky advice, bit this is inexcusable. How much honey do you extract every year? I can't believe very much. If I "lifted" the cappings off of every lowspot I would never finish.

I don't use one anymore, it's easier to just learn to use the tip or the butt of the hot knife and you don't have to switch tools. But IF you want to use one lifting them tears up the comb a lot less. Have you ever tried it? Now I only use it for pulling some drone now and then to see how the mites are doing.

You do realize this thread is six years old? I had a lot less hives six years ago...

[sqkcrk]

Throw away your scratchers. Youy already own a hive tool, don't you? You can use that to scratch cappings off of comb.

[AdamB]

I saw a you-tube video yesterday, a German beekeeper was teaching some students about extracting honey. He used a cappings scratcher to lift the caps off. To me it sure looked a lot cleaner than scratching the tops off.

[bermybee]

Michael Bush has the right idea if you’re looking not to mess up the comb. Push under the caps and lift. When you get real good at it depending on what type of scratcher you have you will be able to basically scoop from one end of the frame to the other while still gliding on the top, watch your fingers though when you reach the other side . We used to do about 3000 frames like that.
I now use a Maxant plane with their 9 frame extractor speed control which I still think is the best way by far when it comes to not messing up the cells or cutting too much of the comb away while still being 3 to 4 time faster then lifting. As a matter a fact because my dad is stuck in his ways and so crazy about not messing up the wax he still uses the lifting method. Even though I proved that the plane is better by weighing all the capping and from two almost identical frames, from the same box, one using his lift method the other the hot plane then showing him the difference out of the extract O well you know what they say about leading a horse to water.
The bees will repair even blown frames out of the extractor it is just more work for them. How much honey does it take a bee to produce an equivalent amount of wax? If your gonna scratch or gouge into the comb with a hive tool or scratcher you might as well buy a grape press instead of an extractor. That being said I don’t know if you’re using a tangential extractor but I’m sure they’ll make an impression into the comb also.

[sqkcrk]

To me it sure looked a lot cleaner than scratching the tops off.

Do you want to get the job done or what? Holding the fork in your right hand, turn the tines towards the frame and scratch the cappings off of the comb surface. This will do little damage to the comb.

Besides, I thought it had been well established that even completely replacing combs doesn't take very much out of the bees. So what's the big deal if one scratches a little deeper than necassary?

[xcugat]

This helped me when I saw it I could not believe how much better the uncapping fork works when used like this rather than just raking the comb.

[odfrank]

It is my thought that a cappings SCRATCHER was to be used to primarily uncap low spots in the comb missed by what is commonly used for rapid uncapping, that being a power uncapper, hot knife or plane. I would think that lifting cappings on complete combs would only be used by someone unable to afford one of the above mentioned UNCAPPERS, or someone who thinks that slight damage to comb walls is a problem. Even then, scratching full combs would be much faster than lifting, and would not be noticed by the bees. Foundationless beekeeping is proof that bees can easily repair combs, but also can construct them from nothing at all. I use a hot knife for small batches, a power uncapper for large batches, and a SCRATCHER to scratch off any spots missed by these time savings appliances. I have SCRATCHED my combs annually, many of which are 30 and 40 years in service, and can only laugh at anyone suggesting that cappings lifting is the proper way to use a cappings SCRATCHER.

[odfrank]

Who thinks it is scratcher and who thinks it is a lifter? Only Swienty calls it a "fork", and they are European.

Kelleys:
https://kelleybees.com/Products/#cat...30363936653637

Dadant:
https://www.dadant.com/catalog/produ...roducts_id=469

Mann Lake:
http://www.mannlakeltd.com/ProductDe...24&idCategory=

Swienty:
http://www.swienty.com/shop/default.asp?catid=1127

http://www.swienty.com/shop/vare.asp...&vareid=107067

[sqkcrk]

This helped me when I saw it I could not believe how much better the uncapping fork works when used like this rather than just raking the comb.

I guess some folks have more time than others. Me, I scrape comb caps from one end to the other and get those suckers into the extractor. I bet if you were paying someone $10.00/hr, you'd want them to work more efficiently too. Bees have no problem dealing w/ comb that has had it's cappings scraped off by a hive tool. The hooked end.

[jim lyon]

Proper use of capping scratcher
A. Hold capping scratcher firmly in right hand (If left handed proceed directly to 1A)
1A. Hold capping scratcher firmly in left hand
B. Scratch off cappings with moderate forehand pressure *
C. Inspect for any intact cappings that might survive step B..
D. If some cappings remain repeat step B until no more cappings remain

Addendum: Don't attempt to shoo off or swat at any bees, flies or anything else on you or any co-worker at any time after you have initiated this process.

* Copywrited post #14 09/08/2011 Mark Berninghausen Brasher Falls, NY

[sqkcrk]

As written in Post #14.