When to select honey for pumping?
The most optimal time is when the frames are almost completely filled with honey and the bees have sealed them about a third in height. There is no point in waiting for the bees to seal the combs completely, since the bees will waste time and not collect a lot of honey, and its quality will not improve. In cases where the bribe stops abruptly, honey has to be taken ahead of time - when the bees have not yet had time to seal the combs. In this case, such honey should be ripened after pumping in an open container.
If the apiary is small, honey can be selected frame by frame. Each frame is removed, gently shaking off the bees from it into the hive with a sharp movement, you can sweep the bees with a special soft knife or feather. The frame is placed in a special portable box and, again, in order not to provoke the theft of bees, it is covered with a canvas or a lid. Instead of the taken frame, immediately put a spare one. During the night, the bees will fix the newly set frame and by the morning they will start collecting nectar.
If the apiary is small, honey can be selected frame by frame. Each frame is removed, gently shaking off the bees from it into the hive with a sharp movement, you can sweep the bees with a special soft knife or feather. The frame is placed in a special portable box and, again, in order not to provoke the theft of bees, it is covered with a canvas or a lid. Instead of the taken frame, immediately put a spare one. During the night, the bees will fix the newly set frame and by the morning they will start collecting nectar.
Pumping honey
It is best to pump the honey immediately after removing it from the hive while it is still warm. Although, if it is warm outside and the air warms up to 25 ° C, pumping can be done the next day.
Before starting work with the frames, their strips should be cleaned of propolis and wax - this will greatly facilitate subsequent work and eliminate the need for additional honey cleaning.
The frame should be placed at an angle over a canvas or table with a special net that retains waste and a tray for honey. Carefully cut the caps off the combs. This is done with a special steam or electric knife. If there is no such knife on the farm, you can handle it with an ordinary beekeeper's knife, first heating it well in hot water. For convenience and speeding up the process, you should have two knives - one is constantly in hot water, the second is working. As necessary, the knives are exchanged for one another.
By the way!
When working with heather honey, keep in mind that it thickens very quickly. It is no longer possible to extract it from the cells 3-4 days after collection. Heather honey can be pumped out unripe, immediately after entering the hive. To pump out such honey at a later date, the frames can be preheated for 12-16 hours at a temperature of 40 degrees and only then pumped out.
In radial honey extractors, place the frames with the upper bar outward so that all the honey will fly out of the cells during rotation. Bees build the cells at a certain angle upward so that when they are filled with honey, it does not flow out of the cells. In chordial honey extractors, frames are also placed vertically, but first with one side to the honey extractor circumference, then after stopping - with the other side.
Before starting work with the frames, their strips should be cleaned of propolis and wax - this will greatly facilitate subsequent work and eliminate the need for additional honey cleaning.
The frame should be placed at an angle over a canvas or table with a special net that retains waste and a tray for honey. Carefully cut the caps off the combs. This is done with a special steam or electric knife. If there is no such knife on the farm, you can handle it with an ordinary beekeeper's knife, first heating it well in hot water. For convenience and speeding up the process, you should have two knives - one is constantly in hot water, the second is working. As necessary, the knives are exchanged for one another.
By the way!
When working with heather honey, keep in mind that it thickens very quickly. It is no longer possible to extract it from the cells 3-4 days after collection. Heather honey can be pumped out unripe, immediately after entering the hive. To pump out such honey at a later date, the frames can be preheated for 12-16 hours at a temperature of 40 degrees and only then pumped out.
In radial honey extractors, place the frames with the upper bar outward so that all the honey will fly out of the cells during rotation. Bees build the cells at a certain angle upward so that when they are filled with honey, it does not flow out of the cells. In chordial honey extractors, frames are also placed vertically, but first with one side to the honey extractor circumference, then after stopping - with the other side.
After pumping honey
After pumping out, even if it is eaten very carefully, a little honey remains on the frames and in the cells of the combs. Therefore, after pumping out, such frames should be returned to the bees for drying. The bee family, with its irresistible craving for aesthetic perfection, will cleanse the combs so that not a drop of honey will remain in them. So, shops need to be sprinkled with warm water and set in the hive overnight. In the morning, dry combs are removed for storage, and families are given another batch to dry.
An important point! When the bribe ends, favorable conditions are created in the apiary for the theft of bees, so it is necessary to take appropriate precautions and stop theft. First of all, this concerns safety measures when pumping and storing honey: make sure not to stain the hives with honey and do not leave honey frames, honey extractor or tools unwashed.
When pumping honey, it is necessary to comply with the sanitary requirements: the beekeeper must work in a clean robe, have clean dishes and equipment without foreign odors, and when working with beekeeping equipment (regular knife, steam, electric, honey extractor), also safety requirements.
An important point! When the bribe ends, favorable conditions are created in the apiary for the theft of bees, so it is necessary to take appropriate precautions and stop theft. First of all, this concerns safety measures when pumping and storing honey: make sure not to stain the hives with honey and do not leave honey frames, honey extractor or tools unwashed.
When pumping honey, it is necessary to comply with the sanitary requirements: the beekeeper must work in a clean robe, have clean dishes and equipment without foreign odors, and when working with beekeeping equipment (regular knife, steam, electric, honey extractor), also safety requirements.
Storage of honey
After pumping out, honey must be poured into containers in which it will be stored. The best option is glass, wood or enameled containers. For some time, freshly pumped honey should settle. Liquid honey of lower quality will rise upward along with foam and the remains of honeycombs, propolis and bees. After a few days, remove the foam and liquid honey from the honey. Do not mix it with quality honey, as this can provoke fermentation.
It is best to store honey in glass or wooden containers. Tubs made of beech, linden, poplar, aspen or alder are perfect for these purposes. Amateurs and experimenters can store honey in coniferous containers - in this case, it acquires a pronounced smell of resin. But in an oak container, honey darkens. Also beekeepers' favorite containers are aluminum flasks with a capacity of 45-50 kg. In completely sealed combs, honey will also be perfectly preserved.
It is best to store honey in glass or wooden containers. Tubs made of beech, linden, poplar, aspen or alder are perfect for these purposes. Amateurs and experimenters can store honey in coniferous containers - in this case, it acquires a pronounced smell of resin. But in an oak container, honey darkens. Also beekeepers' favorite containers are aluminum flasks with a capacity of 45-50 kg. In completely sealed combs, honey will also be perfectly preserved.
