Which Harvest Technique

Pond Creek Farm · August 08, 2009, 08:31:01 PM

Today was the first day I have harvested honey beyond a couple of frames here and there. By most folks standards, I did not have a major haul (2.5 supers off of two hives), but both of these were packages this April. What I noticed is that my method of robbing honey leaves much to be desired. I pulled the frames one by one, brushed off the bees and put the frame into a waiting box about 20 feet away. The first couple of frames went allright, but thereafter it was not allright. The bees really got mad (understandable), and I learned that bee brush equals many very agitated bees. I also learned that they can sting through a suit and that they will fly down rubber boots and sting a bit too. I took a few shots, but no more than 7 or 8. This has me thinking how I can do this more efficiently next time and without angering them so much (or at least not getting stung and mobbed). My sons would not have wanted to be part of this little adventure, and I would like to learn a better method before next year so that I can encourage rather than discourage them to keep bees. I have read of various methods, but which works best? What do you all do?

For my efforts, I have honey straining into two buckets from the comb that I crushed. They boys and I are looking forward to bottling tomorrow. Thanks for any advice.

RayMarler · August 08, 2009, 09:32:29 PM

You might try using an escape board. It's a one way board, allowing bee traffic to go one direction but not the other thru the board. Just slip it on under the supers on your hive for a couple days. Most of the bees will be emptied out of the supers and you can take them off and brush of the remaining bees very easily.

johnnybigfish · August 08, 2009, 09:46:52 PM

Are ya smokin??
My bees tear me up when I go to just feed them now! :-D
But, when I harvest honey, I think the bees are too busy trying to take their honey back from me instead of stinging me! I have bees EVERYWHERE!!!! I'm really thankful that they arent stinging at thispoint!
I'll be harvesting soon.....I hope things remain the same as usual for me this time too!
The smokin makes a WORLD of difference as to how many stings you get!
( And I harvest in my underwear!!)

your friend,
john

Pond Creek Farm · August 08, 2009, 10:27:23 PM

I had the smoker lit and was using it. I cannot say I was using it properly, but I certainly tried to do so. I was in a full suit, but that did not seem to deter the bees. When you do rob the hives, how will you do it Johnny?

MustbeeNuts · August 09, 2009, 10:27:01 AM

I harvest exactly like you do, I smoke them, give them a few mins, then take the top off, then smoke them again, gently, just enough that they go down the frames. Then like you I have an empty box, I pull a frame and bump it the bees fall off, well most of them do, then I go to the halfway point of the empty and brush the rest off, that gives the bees a few mins, to settle back down. Ya right LOL .. but I didn't get stung once doing it. I get hammered more doing my inspections. Mostly cause I don't smoke em. but an escape is in my list of to dooo's

fermentedhiker · August 09, 2009, 10:36:36 AM

I find giving the frame a good wack to dislodge the bees bothers them much less than the bee brush. They seem to not make a direct connection between to sudden jerk that knocks them off the frame and your presence, as opposed to brushing which they seem very aware that you are the one disturbing them. The bee escape is probably the least disruptive method though.

Bee-Bop · August 09, 2009, 01:43:38 PM

Normally 12 hrs. clear of most all bees, perhaps 3-4 left,unless there is any brood.

Bee-Bop

johnnybigfish · August 09, 2009, 09:32:08 PM

Hey Brian!
I sent you a link to me harvesting honey!

http://picasaweb.google.com/Johnnybigfish/ExtractionDay101108?feat=directlink

When I do go for the honey, I first pull the frames out that I want to take the honey from...I bump it on the box it came out of and then put it in an empty box( Hive box)...Oh yeh...I smoke them some too before doing anything........I then put the tops back on the hives, and carry the boxes with frames of honey over to my extractor...After I extract the honey I just take the frames and hang them up in the trees or lean them on tree trunks so the bees can clean them off..or, if I plan to harvest a couple of times a year, I put the frames back in the boxes on the hives, That way they are ready to get loaded by the bees again :)
Like I said, there will be bees everywhere, all around me!...I spend more time than most picking bees out of the honey extractor and cheesecloth I strain the honey thru into a bucket, But, Tons of bees dont make it.( Well, I really cant be sure about that because IHave never noticed dead bees after the next day comes...maybe alot get cleaned up good enuff to be able to go home)
I do all this about 100 feet from my hives...As you will see in the pictures, I have help also....He is Paul....he suits up..But, hes afraid of the bees...He gave me back a bee hive I gave him....he was too afraid to check on them occasionally...so they got ruined by moths.
Hope this helped some..You can PM me if you need me to go into detail!..Then again,....You might think twice about the way I harvest honey after looking at the pictures! :-D

your friend,
john

TwT · August 09, 2009, 09:37:22 PM

I have always used Triangle escape boards, but this year I used a fume board with Fishers Beequick and it worked alot better, I had just 3 fume boards going at once and they emptied out the bee's in 5 minutes, if you left it on longer they would all leave the hive, fume boards for me here on out!!! Triangle escape boards work fine if you only have a few hives but when you get a bunch they can get expensive buying enough for all the hives..

asprince · August 09, 2009, 09:45:20 PM

I smoke the hive, stand the honey supers on their ends on top of the hive with the bottom of the super facing the front of the hive. I then use my power blower to clear the bees from the super blowing them out in front of the hive. I stack the supers in the truck as I clear them. I keep them covered with a hive top to keep the bees out. They will be trying to rob the supers. The dislodged bees will fly back to the hive.

I use this method for one or one hundred. It does little harm to the bees and it is fast especially if you have a helper.

Steve

Scadsobees · August 11, 2009, 12:52:38 PM

Fume board with beeQuick! I only have one fume board, so I have my shop vac near by and then I can go a little faster, pull the super when there are still a few bees in it and then blow the rest of them out with the shopvac. Set the super on the side and then just start blowing between the frames. It doesn't hurt the bees, just disorients them.

Last year I did it without the beequick (i ran out) and just blew them out with the shopvac, but there are a lot more bees then and its more work to get them out.

The wind bothers them less than the brush, so I'd think you could use the blower on a frame by frame basis too instead of brushing. It'd work faster....

Rick