How can I find my old pictures?

[lsb]

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!

[Old Speckled Hen]

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

[Mrs Webmuppet]

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.

[lsb]

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.

[Mrs Webmuppet]

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.

[lsb]

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!