Specification
06
Warm honey ows best. Warm honey spins
out of the comb faster and more thoroughly
than does cold honey in an extractor. Warm
honey also strains faster through a lter. Honey
at 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 c) or higher will
be extracted most easily. This is normally not a
problem in the summer, but in cool weather a
light bulb under a stack of supers overnight can
provide a lot of heat if the escape of the heat is
controlled. Do not melt the wax!
Extracted honey absorbs moisture from the
air. Uncovered honey also catches insects, so
keep the honey covered.
Sucient honey containers are needed on
extracting day. Enough containers need to be
on hand when extracting, so it is good to learn
how much capacity you’ll need before extract-
ing. In rough numbers:
• A shallow super will typically yield between
25 and 30 pounds of honey, or 2 to 2 ½
gallons.
• A medium (6 5/8”) depth super will typically
yield between 35 and 40 pounds, or 3 to 4
gallons.
• A full-depth box will typically yield between
60 and 70 pounds, or 5 to 6 gallons.
Actual yields vary due to the number of frames,
how well they are extracted, age of comb and
other variables.
Wax cappings hold a lot of honey. Wax cap-
pings typically hold 10% or more of a beekeep-
er’s honey crop. Cappings should be drained
of honey through screening. After draining,
the cappings wax can be melted into a block.
Melting is best accomplished using a solar wax
melter, or by heating the cappings in an inch of
water in an old pot. Feed the honey-water back
to the bees. Solar wax melters really do work
well – use double-paned framed window glass
and build around it. Alternatively, the cappings
can be left outside for the bees to feed on and
then thrown away
Utensils that are used with melted wax will
not be used for anything else. Melted wax
leaves a waxy lm on every pot, spoon, dipping
cup or strainer it comes into contact with. Crock
pots with an inch of water are good for melting
cappings that have been drained of honey, but
the pot will never be the same. Old crock pots
are also near-perfect for melting wax during
candle making, and they are often available at
garage sales. Heat to between 150 and 180
degrees Fahrenheit; no need to boil.
Bad comb and rotten boxes should be re-
placed while extracting. Extracting provides
the perfect opportunity to cull bad combs,
frames and boxes that need paint or replacing.
Have replacements on hand on extracting day.