Harvest Time

To prepare a comb for extracting one needs to remove the wax seal that the bees place over a cell when it is full and they satisfied it is of the right consistency.

This sealing wax is a very white colour and ideally the entire comb should be sealed. I couldn't wait as I didn't want the dandelion honey to be mixed with other types so as can be seen in the photo many cells on this conb had not yet been sealed.

The wax sealed cells are usually removed by using a fork like instrument but there are other gadgets around such as electrically heated knives. The wax can later be recycled, the sealing wax being the most valuable due to its colour and also having the least impurities to be strained out.

Then pop the frames in the extractor and spin away. The result is on my main journal.

Next lesson learnt - always try to have enough frames to fill the extractor or at least be able to balance it. Two frames in an extractor which can hold four frames is OK but having three is a pain and unlike the one's the Beach Boys sang about, causes good vibrations of a very unpleasant nature.