Suburban Sweet Apiary

Suburban Sweet, Strong Island, New York  2017

Nature's Sweetener

6. Our opinion of the electric hot knife technique .

 9. Honey Cardio!  Cranking the centrifuge to extract the honey

from the uncapped frames .

This is a varroa mite on the edge of a toothpick.  We found it crawling around the bottom of the hive. It was really speedy.  Varroa mites are bee parasites that weaken bees, and probably contribute to colony collapse disorder.  After we saw this guy, we treated the hive with strips containing formic acid, an organic acid.  It smells awful, but supposedly, it kills the mites.  The bees didn't seem to like it much either. Rob really hated it.

1. Our extracting set-up: uncapping bench,

5-gallon filtering system, centrifuge extractor.

12,  Decorating the honey jars!

3.A frame full of capped honey!

11,  Filling the jars with honey.

5.

Uncapping, using

the electric hot

knife technique.

These two worker bees are coming back to the hive after foraging, carrying yellow pollen in the pollen sacs on their legs.

10. Pouring extracted honey

into the filtration system.

Does this make my butt look big?

 7. Uncapping, using cold knife technique .

 8. Uncapping, left-handed cold knife technique .

Memo to self:  Next year, put tarps over the entire kitchen floor, not just the extracting area...

WHAT'S ON

FIRE?

2. Dressed for

collecting the

honey supers.

Have any questions?   Just ask.  If we don't

know the answer, we'll make something up!

Click on the little bee icon for our contact form.

4. Placing the frame on the uncapping bench.