Specification

Uncapping is easier with only 8 or 9 frames
spaced evenly in a 10-frame super. The thicker
comb means almost no scraping with the fork.
After bees have drawn out the foundation the
rst season, return only 8 or 9 frames into each
extracted super to make the next crop easier to
uncap. Uncap all the way down to the wood on
the top and bottom bar, regardless of how far
the comb in drawn out, so the comb will be nice
and even next year.
Propolis sticks to shoes and almost every-
thing else. Extracting is a great time to clean
propolis o the box edges and frame-rests, but
if they are going to be scraped it is best to cover
the oor with old cardboard, newspaper or a
plastic painter’s tarp so there will not be little
propolis reminders of the extracting experience.
Wax isn’t quite as bad.
Butyric acid (Bee Go) really stinks. It works
great, and is the best way for most hobby
beekeepers to clear bees from the supers. The
bees don’t get as angry as brushing or blow-
ing them, but that smelly fume board belongs
behind the garage or near the fence when
you’re done. The chemical bottle belongs in a
plastic bag inside an old coee can or some-
thing else that won’t tip over; this is stu you
do not ever want to spill. The almond-smelling
Benzaldehyde smells better and works okay in
cooler weather, but it still belongs outside. Bee
escape boards work too, if you can install them
the day before extracting, have enough escapes
for every hive, and do not have too many holes
between the boxes where the bees can enter
and rob the honey.
Extractors, uncapping tanks and other
extracting equipment are best borrowed or
shared. Most hobby beekeepers will only use
their extracting equipment one or two days
each year. The rest of the year it typically gath-
ers dust in an attic, garage or basement. Thus
it is very practical and economical for several
beekeepers or a beekeeping association to
HONEY EBOOK
share equipment. The expense is avoided, and it
eliminates the need for storage space. So borrow
or share, and use some of that money saved to
buy a few of the nice non-stick polyurethane can-
dle molds. If you must buy, a good quality hand-
crank 4 frame extractor will suit most beekeepers
better than 2 or 3 frame models, since it reduces
the spinning work and thus greatly shortens the
extracting time.
Extracting honey is best accomplished with
two people. One person uncapping frames while
the other spins the honey. Very ecient and the
conversation can be good. If you have clean wax
from an earlier extraction, a side candle-making
operation is an eective use of time since candles
take time to cool.