{"id":3188,"date":"2020-07-24T11:04:18","date_gmt":"2020-07-24T15:04:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beekeepingfornewbies.com\/?p=3188"},"modified":"2022-09-12T07:51:13","modified_gmt":"2022-09-12T11:51:13","slug":"remove-bees-honey-harvest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beekeepingfornewbies.com\/remove-bees-honey-harvest\/","title":{"rendered":"Get Bees Out Of Honey Supers
(Make Honey Harvesting Easier)"},"content":{"rendered":"
Updated on September 12th, 2022<\/p>\n
When it’s time to harvest honey, you will want to get bees out of the honey supers so it’s easier to remove capped frames. Here are several methods\/devices you can use for this task: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ll explain each of these bee removal methods and discuss their pros and cons. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
With each of these methods, you\u2019ll be removing frames or boxes from the hive. If removing frames, replace them to avoid cross-combing issues. If removing boxes, consider adding a box below the super to provide adequate space for the colony. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once you get honeybees off the frames, you need to keep them off (as best you can) to transport them indoors for extraction. Move your honey frames to a closed box. Once they’re in the box, the bees cannot access them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Take the boxes full of honey away from the apiary. Limit the amount of time it takes to transfer the frames into your honey house. The goal is to minimize (or even eliminate) the chance of any bees hitching a ride indoors with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shaking or brushing bees is a simple way to remove bees from any frame. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lift the capped honey frame from the hive, hold it firmly and give it a good shake in front of, or over, the hive. You can also use a bee brush with a gentle, upward stroke to knock the bees off. (We often use a large turkey feather instead of a bee brush when we want to move bees around). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is the most cost-effective method for removing bees from the frame as it requires no additional equipment (assuming you have a brush or feather as a primary tool anyway). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since you lift individual frames to remove bees, you only shake bees from entirely capped honey. Other methods involve getting the bees out of the entire super before you take out frames. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Removing bees one frame at a time can be time-consuming. It might be fine if you only have a few colonies. As your apiary grows, this is probably not the most efficient method of harvesting your honey. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pay attention to the bees. If they become defensive from the shaking and brushing, your job can get more difficult. Usually, your smoker comes in handy in such a case. However, you need to use it sparingly, if at all, unless you like smoke-flavored honey. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To blow bees out of honey supers, you can use a specially designed bee blower (which can be very expensive especially if designed for “commercial” use) or a leaf blower (which may benefit from an attachment that directs the air more effectively). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To blow out the bees, set the super on its short side (frames are perpendicular to the ground) near the front of the hive. This arrangement will keep frames aligned and blow the bees out close to home. Using a stand to keep the box off the ground makes the task easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aim the blower from the top bars to avoid blowing the frames out of the box. If needed, move frames slightly to create more space to blow air in between them as you go. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Blowing the bees out of the super should be relatively short work. I can see the value of this method if you have a lot of hives to work on. But moving a lot of heavy supers is probably a two-person job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you opt for blowing the bees out of the super, make sure the queen is not in the box by using a queen excluder. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n For the hobby beekeeper with only a few hives, the work of manipulating heavy supers into proper position plus the cost of an effective blower may not be worth it. <\/p>\n\n\n