lsb Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 Hello, I'm getting ready to move through my first honey harvest and have been reading/watching around and wonder if anyone has any specific thoughts on using a heat gun to melt the caps and then harvesting honey with a spoon, to leave the beehaus wire frame foundation intact. I see there are various uncapping forks/planes/knives, but the heat gun looked rather easy and quick, but not sure how the hot wax would play into the harvest. Any thoughts welcome, thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 Drawn supers are valuable, so don't destroy the bees' work. Why not borrow an extractor. Lots of folk use heat to uncap.... I think it changes the honey but that's just personal opinion. I like an uncapping fork. It is time consuming but enables you to follow uneven comb rather than slicing off great bits of comb with a knife. If you want to harvest honey with a spoon then wait till next year, put in either thin foundation or just starter strips in some of the frames and make yourself some cut comb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Webmuppet Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 I use an uncapping fork...couldn't get on with a knife (but then I'm chronically left handed and awkward) . I treated myself to a small extractor this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lsb Posted June 27, 2015 Author Share Posted June 27, 2015 Thanks for the thoughts. I'm not sure that the beehaus frames fit in USA sized extractors, but I will check it out. If not, I guess I will have to destroy the drawn comb, or alternatively, use an uncapping fork, but again, I suppose that will lead to drawn comb going by the wayside. Regardless, I appreciate the thoughts and will let you know what I find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Webmuppet Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 You could always try contacting a few of the U.S. Beekeeping supplies companies. There's one company in the US that markets in the UK too (Mann Lake I think they are called) so they may do an extractor that fits your frames. Most extractors take a range of frames. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lsb Posted June 29, 2015 Author Share Posted June 29, 2015 Thanks-unfortunately, Mann Lake does not sell the same products in the UK/USA, which is a bit odd. I will definitely inquire about the extractors and will give it a shot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...