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How to give wax back

5K views 7 replies 8 participants last post by  blammer 
#1 ·
How do I give wax back to the bees after using the strain and squeeze method for harvesting honey? I wanted to save the combs in the frames but couldn't so how can I make it as easy as possible for the bees to make more?
Thanks so much for your help.
 
#4 ·
The bees won't reuse wax to any great extent unless it is as drawn comb. If you REALLY want to reuse wax badly enough to spend the money for an extractor, that's the only way I've seen it work to any extent. But, IMO, that's not worth it unless you either find a good extractor for $100 or less or you have more than 50 hives or a lot of extra cash you just have to spend on bees.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesharvest.htm
 
#6 ·
50 hives!? seeing that to a certain limit, each super of already
drawn comb in spring equates directly to supers of honey that
would not be possible with foundation, it does not take much to
pay for an extractor. Lets figure,

5 hives
with 3 med. supers of honey each.
thats 15 supers
with a conservative 8 quarts each super
thats 120 quarts sold at $10 each
thats $1200

extracted, you can use those 3 supers per hive next
year and add foundation boxes on top of that. So
you increase your honey harvest by $1200 in the second
year.

Brushy's 9 frame motorized radial is $785.00 + shipping.
I wouldn't buy anything less, borrow maybe, but not buy.

I bought an extractor when I reached 10 hives and don't
regret that in the least. But using someone elses may be
more economical for you.
 
#7 ·
Brushy's 9 frame motorized radial is $785.00 + shipping.
I wouldn't buy anything less, borrow maybe, but not buy.
I vote build. The plans on beesource and elsewhere work and are very economical. Furthermore, your average honey extractor is a very simple construct. I agree about the borrow or rent. I can rent a 6 frame for $12 from my club and it would take a lot of years at my current size to make anything else more economical (I build because I'm obstinant, not efficient).
 
#8 ·
get one of the hundred dollar extractors, sure it only does two frames at a time but it's worth it to me.

I put my one med super of extracted honey frames back on and in one week the girls had fixed it and had it half full of sumac and ready for the sourwood flow.

in short, bees will not reuse the wax from anything you have "squeezed" or 'crushed and strained'
 
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