[Greenerlife]

I have posted this somewhere else, but thought I'd ask here too.

I have taken my meagre "crop" of honey out of my hive today.  Only 5 frames so any suggestions as to how to extract the honey?  Doesn't seem worth the while putting it into an extractor (borrowed).  Anybody else done it?

[little blue]

http://www.loraincountybeekeepers.org/PDF%20Files/honey%20harvest1.pdf

[Anke]

If the frames are not too new it might be easiest to cut them out and break into smaller parts, put into stainless steel pot into water bath and warm to about 50 deg C, to melt honey off and wax stays separate. Quite messy too and OH (or whoever is the main cooker/washer upper) will have a bit of a job on hand to clean the wax off, but once the honey is out boiling water, then scraping out  (or use old pot staright away).

However if it was only 5 frames I would have left them on for winter, started feeding sugar (in early Sep) and made sure the hive was as strong as possible to go into winter. Having taken all the honey you will need to feed quite a lot, and it is usually better to leave a full super on the brood box for winter. (up here in the Scottish borders, maybe you are quite far down south).

[Greenerlife]

Thanks Anke!  Am going to melt it in a bain Marie tomorrow.  Had guessed that was my best bet.  I left all my honey last year on this hive very successfully but this year I am now left with a queenless brood after several attempts at getting a new queen in , so before the wasps rob me dry I thought I would take the honey this time around!

[Anke]

Ok, if it's queenless than that's your best option - have been there, NOT done that and the wasps had it...

[Rosemary]

Another reason to hate wasps - like I need one 

[Hilarysmum]

Bring on the hornets, they eat wasps

[Greenerlife]

Well, I am the extraordinarily proud owner of a few pots of my own honey!  (How smug am I?)  Borrowed a honey bain marie from a fellow beekeeper which worked a treat (and my washer-upper gave it back cleaner than when it arrived!) This is my first lot of honey after two years keeping so let's hope it helps with my hay fever!   

[Hilarysmum]

Well done you ....   

[doganjo]

Congratulations - a sense of achievement is the greatest feeling on earth!

[Anke]

Well your first few jars of honey are special!

However I am bit sceptical about the statement that honey (local) helps with hayfever. In my opinion it all depends on what you are actually allergic too. I am fairly allergic to grass pollen and to some extent tree pollen. I have not seen any effect from local honey at all, not from my own nor from the one I used to eat when an uncle of ours kept his bees in my parents garden and I lived at home. (after all bees don't really spend time on grasses)

I have in the past tried to be strong and not rely on antihistamines (especially as they made me very drowsy), but have found that nowadays by taking a combination of two tablets and occasionally supplement with eye drops I am almost free of symptons and not so tired anymore (just keep a slightly higher caffeine intake). And its only during June and July, so quite livable with...

[doganjo]

Honey wouldn't help me either - I have perennial Rhinitis and have to take an antihistamine every day for the rest of my life.

[Hilarysmum]

Thats a bummer, does it make you sleepy?

[doganjo]

No, I'm on levocitirziene - no drowsiness at all! Recommended by my GP son-in-law

[hennypenny]

Ive got 3 hives that have done really well this year...am taking honey off this week, and have bottled up about 16ibs so far.  we use a manual extractor and triple filter....
Im going to sell some at our local deli place in wadebridge...was astounded at the price this year...£6 for a 1lb jar!