Harvesting honey and extracting it from the combs is a very important step in beekeeping. When the honey is still warm from the beehive, it flows more freely, making the extraction process much easier.
How To Harvest Honey And Extract Honey
To help you extract honey effectively using a honey extractor, follow these simple steps:
Remove the Capped Honey Frames:
Carefully remove each frame of capped honey one by one from the super. Ensure gentle handling to avoid harm to the bees or accidentally stepping on them.
Gently Brush Away Bees:
Use a bee brush to gently remove any bees that might be on the frame. Take caution not to harm them as they play a vital role in the beehive.
Remove the Wax Caps:
To access the honey, use a hot knife or a hot air gun to remove the wax caps from the cells.
Place Frames in the Extractor:
Position the frames vertically inside the drum of the honey extractor, using the metal holdings for support. Ensure the frames are securely in place.
Start the Extraction Process:
If you have an electric extractor, turn on the device. For a manual extractor, start spinning the frames by hand. Observe the speed to avoid extreme centrifugal force that may damage the delicate wax comb. Spin the frames in one direction for approximately five to six minutes, then reverse the spinning direction. After another five to six minutes, the combs should be empty, and the frames can be returned to the shallow super.
Release the Honey:
As the extraction process continues, the drum of the extractor will gradually fill with honey. To ease spinning, open the gate valve located at the bottom part of the extractor, allowing the honey to flow out. Use a bucket to collect the honey from the drum.
Store the Harvested Honey:
Transfer the honey from the bucket into jars or containers that you have prepared for storage. Ensure the jars are clean and airtight to preserve the quality of the honey.
Which Honey Extractor Suits Me
Choosing the right honey extractor depends on your beekeeping scale and requirements. Consider the following recommendations based on the number of beehives you manage:
Hobbyists (Maximum of 10 Beehives):
For hobbyists with a small number of beehives, a suitable extractor should be able to accommodate 2 to 3 frames at a time. This size is practical for occasional honey centrifuge machine.
Small Beekeepers (10 to 50 Beehives):
Small-scale beekeepers require a more efficient honey extractor. An ideal choice is a motorized extractor that can self-turn. It should be reliable, fast, and capable of holding at least 4 deep frames or 8 shallow frames simultaneously.
Commercial Beekeepers (Up to 200 Beehives):
When managing up to 200 colonies, commercial beekeepers need larger extractors. Opt for big radial extractors with a capacity of 36 to 60 frames of electric honey extractor. Alternatively, a self-turning extractor with 12 to 16 frames can also be suitable. Radial extractors work best with shallow frames while self-turning extractors are preferred due to larger frame sizes and higher honey viscosity.
Industrial Beekeeping Entities (More than 200 Beehives):
At an industrial level, beekeeping demands are significantly higher, requiring multiple workers during the season. These apiaries utilize semi or fully-automatic uncapping machines and complete honey extracting lines. The lines consist of an automatic, efficient uncapping machine and a semi-automatic conveyor leading to a horizontal extractor with a minimum capacity of 60 frames.
Multi-sweet is a professional honey extractor factory and manufacturer. we can offer 2-72 frame electric honey extractors and 2-8 frame manual honey extractors, all kinds of radial honey extractors, tangential honey extractors, 304 stainless steel honey extraction equipment, Acrylic transparent honey separate equipment, and Plastic honey machines. Our experienced staff will choose the best honey extract machine for you. we can offer all honey harvest equipment, beehives, honey processing machines, and honey filling machines, beehive-making machines, beekeeping tools, and so on. if you need anything, please feel free to let me know.