plasticell and honey harvest

rottybee · February 24, 2010, 12:16:47 PM

This will be my first year and I realize I might not get any honey for myself but if I do, how do I get the honey from frames with plasticell without an extractor? I won't be able to purchase one this year.

bassman1977 · February 24, 2010, 12:33:33 PM

This will probably be a pain but you can either scrap of the comb and then do a crush or uncap and allow it to drain. Not sure how well the uncapping and draining will work though but I've seen that suggestion come up before. As far as scraping off the comb, if you take it down to the plastic, you'll have to rewax the frame in order for the bees to draw it out again.

doak · February 24, 2010, 12:44:31 PM

There is no need to re wax the frames. You will leave enough on for the bees to take to quicker than they did when they were new. Get you a short plastic windshield ice scraper. Don't scrape hard on the foundation, just enough to get the comb off. Works for me. :)doak

Kathyp · February 24, 2010, 12:48:42 PM

search for crush and strain on the site. it's pretty easy and will save you the expense of an extractor until you really need one.

D Coates · February 24, 2010, 01:44:47 PM

If you're part of a local organization they sometimes have extractor you can rent. Also, you may know or find some local beekeepers who have one they'll rent you or let you borrow. Or best yet if you know a local beekeeper who has one ask if you can extract with them. Offer free manpower for extraction. I've got a small Kelly 2 frame reversable and I've got 3 local guys (one or two hives apiece) I've done various versions of what I've described here with them.

David LaFerney · February 24, 2010, 10:23:30 PM

You could also do something like this simple drill driven two frame extractor.

beee farmer · February 24, 2010, 11:15:50 PM

Quote from: D Coates on February 24, 2010, 01:44:47 PM
If you're part of a local organization they sometimes have extractor you can rent. Also, you may know or find some local beekeepers who have one they'll rent you or let you borrow. Or best yet if you know a local beekeeper who has one ask if you can extract with them. Offer free manpower for extraction. I've got a small Kelly 2 frame reversable and I've got 3 local guys (one or two hives apiece) I've done various versions of what I've described here with them.

Dittos to D Coates, surely there is someone local that you could time removing your honey frames to when they were extracting then just pop the few frames you have in. The biggest advantage other than the mess of crush and strain would be that the following year your bees could use their energy putting up honey for you in the existing comb insted of drawing new wax,.

Wynoochee_newbee_guy · February 25, 2010, 03:16:18 PM

best thing to do is find a bee club and see if any one has an extractor that you can barrow or have them spin it for you.

Shawn · February 25, 2010, 05:10:27 PM

I had two and a half supers and I did the crush and strain. I got a 6 in 1 tool and scraped off the comb into a bucket. I got eh idea from so many people here and copied the info from Michael Bush's website. Here is a link to a thread I did with pictures of the results. Even though I did scrape off the comb there was wuite a bit of base left I think they will go for and have no problems.

http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,24834.0.html

Tucker1 · February 25, 2010, 06:37:16 PM

The local bee keeping supplier that I use offers a service to extract honey for you. The cost isn't too bad and you could see how it's done.

Regards,
Tucker1

harvey · February 27, 2010, 10:59:00 PM

Do you know anyone who used to keep bee's but doesn't anymore? I had a guy that I knew kept twenty or so hives for many years and then he got out of it as they slowly died off. When I caught my first swarm I called him for help. He was tickled pink to give me advice and to come watch me work the bee's. In the fall I had a super that was full of honey along with the two deeps that I left for the bee's. He told me to come over and he would show me how to get the honey out. I went to his house with ten frames. We went out to his barn and he found an old four frame extractor along with a hot knife that he hadn't used in many years. We washed it up and when we were done he told me it was two cold to use it right then. He told me to take it home and then explained on how to use it. I took it home. It worked like a champ. I cleaned it up and took it back along with a quart of honey. He took the quart of honey and then told me he would rather me keep the hot knife and extractor and if I had twenty bucks I could buy it!!! I know his advice was worth more than the money and I know he gave it to me just cause of his love for the bee's and the fact that someone new was interested in them. I plan on keeping him supplied with honey as long as I have any. You might get lucky and find the same thing if you know an ole timer who used to keep them! Good luck. Harv

Wynoochee_newbee_guy · February 28, 2010, 04:59:31 PM

oh I will extract honey for local beeks for just letting me keep the cappings. they come over to my place I'll help them un cap spin their honey out in to five gallon buckets enjoy a nice conversation no money out thier pockets and I get a lot of wax.

woodchopper · February 28, 2010, 10:59:58 PM

Quote from: Wynoochee_newbee_guy on February 28, 2010, 04:59:31 PM
oh I will extract honey for local beeks for just letting me keep the cappings. they come over to my place I'll help them un cap spin their honey out in to five gallon buckets enjoy a nice conversation no money out thier pockets and I get a lot of wax.

I'll have to remember that one. Great idea.

Hethen57 · March 01, 2010, 02:33:35 PM

I had great luck cutting the top of the comb off with a knife into a stew pot, then using a cake serving spatula and a regular rubber spatula to get the rest of the honey off the frame (without disturbing the wax coating). Then, crush wet comb and put into paint strainer bag to drain into a food grade bucket (spatula all honey residue out of stew pot). There was really minimal waste in the process (nearly all honey was scavenged after two strains and a squeeze of the wax pulp)...The bees drew the frames back in a couple of days.