Honey harvesting has begun! Late summer is often the ideal time for honey extraction. If your hives are ready, you will be happy to know that our honey extractor is available for rent! Just come down to the feed store, make your check or cash deposit, get on our reservation list.
By this time of the season, bees have had a significant number of weeks to harvest flower nectar and their honeycombs are usually filled with honey. It’s suggested by many beekeepers that honey can be harvested if at least 80% of cells in the frames are sealed and capped with wax. (Cells that are not capped with wax are usually not ready to harvest, as the honey has not solidified and will probably spoil if you try to store it.)
For new beekeepers, you may notice that your harvest is not all that impressive the first season. This is really common because a new colony needs time to build up resources and grow — the first year there’s not enough time to complete the job.
If you are new to beekeeping or want to update or upgrade your beekeeping supplies, we have everything you need, from new frames to beekeeping suits, and we’re happy to discuss beekeeping and honey harvesting tricks with you.
And if your hive isn’t ready to harvest yet, no problem. You can always buy local honey or wax from us instead!
Cheers!
