The question people involve most oftentimes by folks who learn I ’m a apiculturist is : “ Do you glean and sell your dear ? ” I do n’t blame them . Humans have been preoccupied withthe sweet stuffsince our ancestors observe we could slip from wild colony , eventually putting the bee in our own designedhivesto manage ( and harvest honey ) more easily .
But the solution to that doubtfulness in general depends mostly on the beekeeper being asked . commercial-grade beloved producers and small - weighing machine apiaries will usually respond with a resounding , “ Yes ! ” Small hobby apiaries orhomesteaders with just a few hivesmight respond one of several way . Some beekeepers reap on a regular basis several times per year . Others watch the hives for sign of readiness and harvest honey only when they recognise they can do so safely . So how do you know ? What are the sign of facility to harvest dearest ?
Here are a few tips to help oneself you know when to glean dear from your hives , mindfully and respectfully .
1. Know Your Region
Before you may glean honey , it ’s important to have a go at it when the expect “ honey flow ” ( or ambrosia flow ) will come about in your area . When the flow is “ on , ” you may plan to add supers in rapid succession , allowing the bee to hive away as much as the flow will allow . This is most important because if you take too much love from one harvesting , you require to have a backup ambrosia flowing before winter to help exchange the stores .
2. Know Your Window
There ’s a window of time in the year to harvest honey . It ’s dissimilar for everyone because it depends so greatly on your realm ( and is another great ground to know and understand the botanic habits of your orbit ) . harvest home too early means you do n’t capitalise on the full amount of honey available in a given year . harvest home too late risks running into cold or freezing temperatures , as well as perhaps have too much and not will enough for the colony for winter . It also runs into the season of chemical substance treatment ( if that ’s something you do ) , and chemicals and beloved by all odds do n’t blend . Of the two , it is always preferred to err on the side of harvest too early .
3. Know Your Honey
The physical process of plow raw nectar into honey requires several element : digestive enzymes from the bee , their efforts at storing and fanning it , and time . When the workers have complete the transformation from nectar to love , the comb ’s electric cell will be capped over with beautiful , fresh , pale wax . The bees do this only when they ’ve fanned the nectar down to the 18 per centum wet level and full turn it into honey . The capping process sign that the honey is quick for crop .
4. Know Your Bees
Become familiar with your hives and their motivation . Never take more honey than you necessitate , or more love than they can dispense with . The ecumenical rule of pollex is leave 40 to 60 pounds of honey on the beehive to get the bees through winter — more for cold regions with longer winter ; less for warmer regions with shorter winters .
Knowing when to harvest honey is about paying care to the signs . Beekeepers must be observant and action at law oriented , if nothing else . Then , if you act with your bee ’ best interest in head , first and first off , you ca n’t go awry .
