Harvesting Summer Honey

Honey should be harvested in the first week of September.  At this point most of the honey will be ready, but it is before the bees start eating the honey themselves.

The first thing to do is remove the honey from the hive.  First you must get the bees out of the part of the hive you will be removing (the honey super).  This is done by using a smoker to make most of the bees tired and eliminate their need to defend the hive and then placing a bad smelling top on the hive so that the remaining bees will move to the bottom portions.  Then remove the supers. After removing the suppers cut the caps off of the honey. 

Put the de-capped comb in the centrifuge and spin the honey so that the force will push the honey out of the comb. 

Put the caps and drippings into the capping station and put a heat lamp over it.  Wait for the honey to drip out and down so that it can be poured into the filter. 

 

Poor honey into the filter, first from the centrifuge then from the capping station.

 

  While doing this place the equipment outside for the bees to clean.  Do not go out near them while this is happening.  This is the most likely time to be stung as the bees are threatened by your taking the honey right before winter.  The bees will be aggressive and out in force. 

 

From the filter poor the honey out and into jars or food grade plastic.