How to Harvest Bee Hive Honey

Honeybees have the honor of making nature's perfect sweetener--honey. Beekeepers provide hives for the honeybees to live in and produce cells full of healthy, flavorful honey. The beekeepers then help tidy the hive by harvesting the honey for human consumption.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Pry the top of the hive open by cracking the honey seal.

2. Carefully remove the top of the hive.

3. Smoke the hive to make the bees sleepy.

4. Pull frames out of the hive, called a super, one by one.

5. Analyze honey production. If cells are capped, the honey is ready to harvested. Gently brush bees back into the hive. Place the full frame into the transport super.

6. Heat a knife and while holding the frame at an angle, shave the wax caps of the honeycomb by moving the knife in a sawing motion. Be sure to save the wax caps as honey can be extracted from them. Check cells and individually open the cells that are still closed. Repeat on the other side. Continue with all the honey laden frames.

7. Place frames in an extractor. Spin the extractor for 30 seconds. Open the extractor and turn the frames around. Spin the extractor for another 30 seconds. There will still be a small amount of honey left in the frames.

8. Remove the honey from extractor by opening valve on bottom. Collect the honey in a strainer covered bucket. Discard wax and debris left on the strainer.

9. Gather the wax caps cut off comb in Step 3. Press the caps against the strainer to release as much honey as possible.

10. Bottle the honey and distribute for sale or consumption.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid bee stings by always wearing protective beekeeping gear when tending to hives.
• Use a spare hive, called a super, to transport honey laden frames to the extraction site.
• Continually smoke hive and bees to keep insects inactive.
• Do not allow contaminants to fall into harvested honey. Tie hair back or wear a hair net and make sure hands and nails are clean.