Honey Extraction Process
Newcomers to beekeeping might find the table below interesting, it explains the process of collecting the honey and the various ways of doing so:
| Honey Harvest Process steps | Method description | Alternative Method 1 | Alternative Method 2 |
| 1 | |||
| 2 | Remove hive inner cover from top super | ||
| 3 | If no queen excluder was used, inspect frames forbrood and only remove frames that are without brood. | Remove only frames that are 80% capped and without brood | Remove all frames that have honey but no brood |
| 4a | Add fume board to top of hive to force bees into lower parts of hive. | Remove super and use air blower to force bees from frames | Remove frames one by one and manually brush off bees |
| 4b | Repeat steps 3 and 4a until all supers are removed | ||
| 5 | Transport frames in supers to honey house | ||
| 6 | Heat and dehumidify frames in honey house for 1– 2 days | Do nothing | |
| 7 | Do nothing | ||
| 8 | Remove the wax cap on capped honey manually (Uncap) | Uncap mechanically | |
| 9 | Load honey extractor | Load honey press | Set comb honey chunks on drip pan to drain off honey from cutting edge |
| 10 | Turn on honey extractor motor | Manually turn extractor crank | |
| 11 | Run extracting process for several minutes | ||
| 12 | Remove extracted frames from extractor | ||
| 13 | Empty extractor sump: Pump honey using a mechanicalpump | ||
| 14 | Filter honey | Let wax and other particles settle out | Run raw honey through a separator |
| 15 | Grade honey | Do nothing | |
| 16 | Bottle honey | Package comb honey | |
| 17 | Market and sell honey | Use honey for home consumption |
What You Need To Know As A Beekeeper - The Different Hive Occupants
By: Chris HaycockMany people these days are looking to keep bees, and there are many good reasons to do so. I thought it was best to start at the beginning. So I have to apologise to any experienced apiarists who may have chanced upon this article. Having apologised, this article is of course not aimed at you.
Rather those starting, or thinking of starting in the world of beekeeping. Also those who may be looking to beekeeping as an alternative source of income. I think it's quite important that anyone wishing to become a beekeeper, either as a hobby, or hoping to make an income from beekeeping, should know something about these wonderful creatures, bees are fascinating, as well as necessary. Good husbandry in beekeeping means that you will need a good working knowledge of bees, their habits, and their requirements.
So we start with a description of the occupants of the hive. That is to say the Queen, the Workers, and the Drones. A prosperous, healthy colony of bees in midsummer will consist of a Queen, plus 30,000 to 60,000 Workers, and maybe 300 to 400 Drones. Although the Queen is named as such, she is not in fact the absolute ruler of the colony, rather she serves it from a position chosen for her. Born specifically for the role, potential mother to millions. She is the longest living of the bees. She may live for several years. In her size, physical form, and colouring, she is unique in the colony. Whilst not as bulky as the Drone, she is the longest, and darkest, as well as being surpisingly delicately proportioned. Her one purpose is to propogate, she mates once, then exclusively lays eggs. Up to 3000 a day. This only ceases on old age and death.
The Worker bees are the smallest in the colony, they are all females, like the Queen, but undeveloped. A Worker bees' life is just what the name says, work, all work and no play. It's a short life too, if they are born at the beginning of summer they will only live a few weeks. If a Worker bee is born in the autumn they may well survive the winter, to start the work which as yet unborn generations will take over. They gather the nectar and the pollen. They manufacture wax for repairs and the building of the combs (the colony's larder and cradle). They feed the Queen, nurse the young, clean the hive, and also defend it.
The Drones are the male bees. They are thick and bulky, but not as long as the Queen. They do no work, their sole reason for existence is to fertilise the young Queens. So they are tolerated in the colony. They can come and go freely, and are allowed unlimited access to the honey cells. Although they may seem to have the ideal life, it is a short one, and the Drones that survive till the close of autumn will be driven out of the hive to die. A short life, but a happy one, you could say.
Well, that's a brief description of the occupants of the hive. As I said before, that's just the very beginning. It is a wonderful hobby, and if you want to keep bees I recommend you learn as much about the subject as you can beforehand.
About the Author
Chris Haycock is a successful information publisher with many hobbies and interests. One such interest is the fascinating world of beekeeping. If you would like to find out more you should go to http://secretsofbeekeeping.com
(ArticlesBase SC #789994)
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ - What You Need To Know As A Beekeeper - The Different Hive OccupantsBeekeeping Beginners - How Do Bees Make Honey?
Author: B.R.Shattuck
The first thing Honeybees do is Gather the Nectar.
The Field bees which are the older bees leave the colony to gather nectar from any plant that has flowers. Nectar is comprised of a approximately 80% water and it also contains complex sugars that is produced by flowers. The field bee uses his proboscis which is a tube-like tongue and sucks the nectar from the flower and then stores it in what is referred to as a honey stomach which is a specialized organ that Honeybees have.
The bee returns to the hive with the Nectar.
When the field bee returns to the hive they are met by house bees, which are young worker bees. They suck the nectar from the field bee's honey stomach using their proboscises.
Conversion of Nectar into Honey by the House Bees.
The House bees produce enzymes in there mouths that convert the nectar into unripe honey. This process takes about 20 minutes to accomplish.
Placement of Unripe Honey into the Hive Cells.
At this point the Unripe Honey has a high concentration of water. The house bees then place the Unripe Honey into the cells of the beehive.
So how is the honey is Ripened?
The House bees place the unripe honey in the hive cells and leave it exposed. THey use their wings to produce a strong draft which helps evaporate the water. They also use their proboscises to draw excess water out of the honey.
Now the Honey is Ready for Use.
Once the water content of the honey is reduced to a level that is satisfactory to the bees, they seal the honey in the cell with a layer of wax. The honeyBees abdomen produces a wax that is produced in small sheets underneath it's abdomen. When the honey is sealed inside the cell, it is finished and ready to be eaten by the honeybee colony or harvested for human consumption.
Interested in becoming a Beekeeping Beginner?
For more information:
Beekeeping Beginners!
Additional information on Beekeeping Beginners:b-2u#">
Beekeeping Beginners - Why HoneyBees are the ones to keep.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/hobbies-articles/beekeeping-beginners-how-do-bees-make-honey-794915.html
About the Author
B.R.Shattuck is a Internet Marketing entrepreneur.
Administrator for "QFS"
Quest for Financial Sovereignty website
which exists for the sole purpose of bringing financial freedom
to those who seek it.
Beekeeping Beginners!
