# Am I too late to harvest honey?



## GGBees (May 19, 2012)

I'm afraid I missed the boat here... in south central Kansas. I had it in my mind that by the first of October was fine, but am reading others harvested the first of September. How late is too late?? Also a few questions about the process.. being our first time, I'm unclear about exactly how to go about it.

We have three colonies, but will only take honey off the strongest which has 3 supers on it. My biggest question, which I read some of what others did yesterday, was what to do with the frames that have been extracted. Am I correct that you put them back on the hive above the inner cover and let the bees clean them off? Then what do you do with them for the winter? How do you store them? 

Also, when removing frames to take to the extraction location, couldn't you take them out one by one, blow the bees off, and then set them in an empty deep box with a top and bottom to get them to your location? Is the point just to keep the bees from getting to it? 

Thank you for any and all help! I never dreamed there would be so much to learn about bees!! I'm curious as to what's going on in the deepest part of the hive now, we haven't looked at the bottom brood boxes for awhile since the stack got so big and they seemed to be thriving, and the bees have chased my husband off twice. This could be interesting, taking their honey...


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## cbohman33 (Jan 24, 2012)

As long as you leave the bees enough honey to get through the winter you should be ok extracting now. Once you extract the honey put the supers back on for a day or two and the bees will clean it up quickly. To store your supers, place them in a garbage bag with moth crystals (not moth balls) and tie it shut. This will keep the wax moths out. When removing frames/supers for extraction the easiest way for just a couple supers would be to do it just as you described, removing the frames one at a time and either shaking or gently brushing the bees off and then placing in a covered super off to the side. Have fun....the best honey you will ever taste will be your first harvest off your own hives.


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## Cleo C. Hogan Jr (Feb 27, 2010)

It is not too late to harvest. Any day that is above 65 degrees you can take the top two supers, I would leave the two deep and one shallow. You will not be going into the brood nest so 65 degrees will be O.K. to take off two supers.

I do not like putting wet supers back on hives. Invariably the bees will put some nectar in them. I set them out 100 yards from the hives for a couple of days and let the bees clean them, then store them. After the bees have cleaned the supers of honey, stack them, putting a level teaspoon of paradiclorobenzene, ( para moth) on a piece of newspaper between each super, then one teaspoon on top. Cover them with a piece of plywood or a spare top.

Of course you can remove one frame at at time. Then move to honeyhouse. After you fill one super, secure it so bees can't get to it, while you take the second super. If bees get to unsecured supers, they can get into a feeding frenzy. Yes the point is to keep the bees from it.

Don't go into the bottom unless the temp is 70 or above, and unless you suspect a problem, I wouln't go into the brood nest at all this time of year.

Hope this is helpful.

cchoganjr


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## mgolden (Oct 26, 2011)

Not too late to extract. Ambient temp is getting cool for extracting. May need to warm full frames to extract.

Decap with capping fork/electric knife, spin, strain.

Early Sept is better for hive as bees will have time to arrange for winter and moisture from syrup can be exhausted. Feed with 2:1, so moisture content is lower and be sure to have proper winter ventilation to exhaust moisture. I also medicate with fumagillan to prevent Nosema. 

Proper winter ventilation is inner cover with open notch on under side and 3/4 inch hole in top super or a feeder rim super and 1 inch bt 3/8 bottom entrance. Made mine two 1/2 inch openings on either side with two plys of 3/8 with the narrower piece on top. Keeps mice out. And if snow blocks lower entrance, you still get air to bees and hive through round hole and inner cover notch.

Is the hive 5 supers total and deeps or medium supers? Need to leave adequate winter stores via honey or sugar syrup. Interested to note that one can winter in a single deep in cold climate, if feed syrup in fall, insulate hive(reduce food consumption), and feed again beginning in March. However, living on the edge!

Yes, blow or gently brush/flick bees off the frame and place in an empty super one by one, keeping the storage super covered.

Bees will clean empty frames if placed above inner cover. I also have a 3 1/2 inch vent box(mini empty super with 8 screened holes) immediately above inner cover. Didn't want them thinking empty frames was part of their hive.


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## GGBees (May 19, 2012)

Thank you so much, that answers my questions. Very helpful. I hadn't thought about the temperature, and it makes sense to leave things alone at this point. 

OK, I hope this isn't a really dumb question, but I'm a newbie... are the bees ever too crowded if we compress a colony that had expanded to work 3 supers down into a one super space? 

Where do we buy the moth crystals, or paradichlorobenzene? Does a hardware store carry it?


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## mgolden (Oct 26, 2011)

Do you have deeps or mediums? I'd take a frame or two of honey for the bee keeper.

Bees manage the population down to size available at this time of year.

Purchased paradichlorobenzene at a mid sized hardware store, Home Harware. PFind it beside ironing boards in our area.


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## GGBees (May 19, 2012)

I have two deeps, and 3 supers on the hive that's thriving. Our second hive has one super on it, and our third which we requeened twice is doing ok now but has no supers. 

Thank you for your help, mgolden, Cleo and cbohman33!! I'm excited to see the finished product, and I do appreciate the overwintering advice as well.


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

bees move down in the fall under the stores of honey. You will not hurt the bees at all if you go out first thing on a cool morning and pull the supers. If it is cool enough, the bees will all be downstairs where they belong. I have pulled tons of honey below freezing with no harm to the bees. I doubt you have that cool weather yet. You can indeed have an empty box and place the frames in it after brushing the bees off. It helps to have an assistant to keep the brushed frames covered with a lid or cloth while doing the next. Before pulling frames, break the box free from the box underneath. The bridge comb will be easier to break loose that way and will make your project go faster. Enjoy your honey, that is why we keep bees. Don't be ashamed to take it as long as they have good supplies in the brood box/s


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## Russ (Sep 9, 2001)

GGBees, I am about straight East of you about 90 miles. I store my empty supers in an open sided shed, stand the supers on end with 4 to 6 inches between them with plenty of LIGHT. Wax Moth like the DARK. I have had good luck with this method. Enjoy your HONEY.


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## jadell (Jun 19, 2011)

I would give your weak hive a heft and see if they need stores. They might end up needing that "extra" honey before you do. That's what I would do before I extracted anything.


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## GGBees (May 19, 2012)

Thank you for all the advice-Vance, the tips sound really helpful.

Russ-That sounds like a useful idea as well. I'd like to avoid the chemicals if possible. 

jadell-Thanks, we have 3 supers on the best of our 3 hives, one on the second, and none on the third. We thought we'd move one super to the weakest hive and we'd have one on each, all three have two brood boxes, and we'd still have one super to harvest. We'll know more when we get in there to look. Planning on harvesting either Friday or Saturday, depending on the weather. Want to avoid cloudy, rainy days. Husband got stung again today on the neck, he wasn't even very close to the hives, not working bees at all. They seem to like to sting him. They must not like the color red.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

Are you saying your husband is a red neck?

Good idea to put a super of honey on the hive that has none. I like that idea. Make sure you don't transfer the queen, that's all.


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## GGBees (May 19, 2012)

Haha, good one! He got a chuckle out of that. Thanks! 
Going out to harvest this morning!


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