A strong hive with plenty of food and good weather conditions can produce up to 100 pounds of harvestable honey per hive. However, unforeseen factors can affect colonies, and a better average would be anywhere between 30 to 60 pounds per hive. Honey harvesting is a crucial aspect of beekeeping that requires careful planning and consideration. Most beekeepers find their hive produces around 30-60 pounds of honey annually (30-60 jars of honey). When breaking down into individual bees, a diligent worker is needed. Honey is usually harvested 2-3 times per year/season, usually between mid June and mid September.
On average, a bee hive will produce between 30 to 60 pounds (14 to 27 kilograms) of honey per year. Strong and healthy hives can yield much more, with some producing up to 100 pounds (45 kilograms) annually. Knowing the timing of harvesting, how much to harvest, and what capped honey is can help maximize your harvest and grow your bee colony. In a good season, the average hive can produce around 60lbs or more of honey and around 25lbs of surplus (the honey you can take).
Beekeepers should never plan to harvest in their first year, but they can expect to pull anywhere from 25-100 lbs of honey from an established colony in a successful harvest. A full super with 10 deep frames will contain around 40 kgs of honey, enough for colonies in most climates. In climates with little to no cold season, it is recommended to leave 20 to 30 pounds. Estimating the pounds of honey in your hive will depend on frame size, as well as the local climate and plant life.
| Article | Description | Site |
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| How often can we extract honey from a bee hive, and how … | On the average, the super will contain 100 pounds of honey. The beekeeper will use the centrifuge to remove the honey from the eight frames full … | quora.com |
| Honey – Beekeepers | One hive can produce 60 lb (27 kg) or more in a good season, however an average hive would be around 25 lb (11 kg) surplus. Bees fly about … | bbka.org.uk |
| FABQs: How Much Honey Will I Get? | You should never plan to harvest in your first year, but you can expect to pull anywhere from 25 – 100 lbs of honey from an established colony in a successful … | beeandbloom.com |
📹 How much honey can you extract?
Honey #Extracting #Beehive #SuburbanHomesteaderWY Home much honey can you extract from 5 deep frames. Today we are …
How Much Honey Does A Hive Produce?
A beehive can yield between 25 to 100 pounds (11 to 45 kg) of honey annually, depending on various factors such as the hive’s strength, location, and weather conditions. On average, most beekeepers expect a surplus of around 30 to 60 pounds (14 to 27 kg) per hive each year, while strong hives in optimal conditions can produce up to 60 to 80 pounds (27 to 36 kg) or even more for well-established colonies. Notably, bees must fly approximately 55, 000 miles—equivalent to 2. 2 times around the globe—to produce just one pound of honey.
Different beehive setups can significantly impact honey production. For instance, a 7-frame beehive might generate around 40 pounds (20 kg) during the harvest season, while a 10-frame beehive can produce about 75 pounds. In comparison, some regions report yields of 10 to 200 pounds in a year, showcasing a wide range of production levels.
Historically, honey has had significant value; Roman citizens even used it as a form of tax payment, highlighting its importance. To collect honey, beekeepers employ traditional beehive management techniques to ensure bees have enough stores for themselves while harvesting the surplus.
As a general guideline, a novice beekeeper should not expect to harvest in their first year, but may collect anywhere from 25 to 100 pounds from established colonies after ensuring they face no issues during spring or summer. Ultimately, managing bee colonies effectively allows for maximized honey production while maintaining bee health and sustainability.
How Do Bees Extract Honey From Hives?
Beekeeping enthusiasts utilize various methods to extract honey, demonstrating creativity and respect for the bees' hard work. After a successful harvest, heavy supers must be transported from the bee yard to a designated honey processing area. Once in a bee-free room, the honey is prepared for sale or personal use. The extraction method varies based on the beekeeper's intentions, but in general, beekeeping yields delicious honey that can be enjoyed at home or given as gifts.
Essential tools for honey extraction include a bee suit, gloves, smoker, hive tool, and honey extractor—a device that spins honeycomb frames to separate honey from the comb. Before anyone extracts honey, it's vital to ensure they have located a genuine honey bee hive.
This guide offers beginners crucial information on honey extraction, covering necessary equipment, preparations, and step-by-step methods. The initial step involves removing honey frames from the hives, with the number of frames influenced by factors like colony strength, weather, and nectar availability. Safety gear should always be worn during this process. Among the techniques, the crush and strain method is cost-effective; it entails scraping honeycomb off frames, crushing it, and straining the honey from the wax.
To commence extraction, the wax caps on honey frames must be carefully removed. The ideal temperature for uncapping and extracting honey is between 21-27°C, as excessive heat can soften wax and low temperatures make honey viscous. Proper preparation, patience, and understanding of the extraction process are vital for successful honey harvesting.
Can A Bee Hive Produce Honey?
Honey production in beehives varies significantly based on several factors, making it a complex endeavor for hobbyist beekeepers. On average, a single beehive typically yields between 25 to 50 pounds of honey annually. However, this range can fluctuate widely depending on the hive's location, the prevailing weather conditions, nectar availability, and the overall health of the bee colony. In optimal conditions, with strong and healthy hives, production can soar to between 30 and 60 pounds per hive, and in some cases, even reach up to 100 pounds (45 kilograms) annually.
The structure and size of the beehive also play a crucial role in determining honey output. Traditional ten-frame deep box hives, when managed effectively, can produce between 80 to 100 pounds of honey. In contrast, super or medium boxes, which have less capacity, typically yield around 40 to 60 pounds per hive. Regional variations further impact production rates; for instance, beekeepers in regions like Alberta and Saskatchewan have reported harvesting over 300 pounds (136 kilograms) of honey per colony under favorable conditions.
Bee health is paramount to maximizing honey production. A thriving hive ensures efficient foraging and nectar conversion, predominantly handled by female worker bees. These bees collect nectar from flowers, transform it into honey, and store it within the hive to sustain the colony during winter months when foraging is impossible. The design of hives, often featuring hexagonal tubes, optimizes space for honey storage and efficient use of resources.
Beekeepers aiming to maximize honey yield must protect their colonies from threats and ensure robust hive health. Practices such as relocating hives to areas with abundant wild heather nectar in the autumn can enhance honey quality and quantity. Additionally, understanding the intricate balance of factors influencing honey production allows beekeepers to implement strategies that support their bees effectively, ultimately leading to successful and productive honey harvesting seasons.
How Much Honey Does A Hive Need?
A beehive typically requires 20-30 pounds of honey to survive the winter months, but with sufficient storage, bees can collect significantly more, which is advantageous for beekeepers. A well-managed hive can yield between 60 to 200 pounds of honey annually, with an average production often cited at about 60 to 80 pounds per hive, which translates to approximately 12-16 jars of honey. Factors influencing a hive's honey yield include the colony's size, environmental conditions, and management practices.
In colder climates, it is advisable for beekeepers to leave 60-80 pounds of honey for wintering hives, while in warmer regions, 20-30 pounds may suffice. For robust colonies in northern climates, a guideline suggests maintaining 80-90 pounds of honey, while central climates require around 60-80 pounds, and southern climates need 40-60 pounds. Monitoring hives and adjusting harvesting techniques can enhance the honey production and health of the colony over the years.
Interestingly, it takes considerable effort for bees to produce honey; a single worker bee may create just 1/12th of a teaspoon throughout her lifetime. Despite this, strong colonies can yield large amounts. Beekeepers in ideal conditions have reported harvests of 75-100 pounds per hive when managed effectively, whereas first-year colonies should not be harvested. Full supers in beekeeping can contain around 40 kilograms of honey, sufficient for many hives.
Overall, understanding the honey yield from a beehive is critical for both hobbyist and commercial beekeepers, influencing planning and management strategies. The Honey Yield Calculator is a tool that can aid in estimating production based on factors such as bee species and environmental conditions.
How Does A Beekeeper Extract Honey?
Honey extraction involves several key steps to ensure a quality product. Beekeepers begin by harvesting when honey is ripe, removing the wax cappings from honeycomb cells. They then use methods like centrifugal force or pressing to extract the honey. Thorough filtration is imperative during this process, using strainers, sieves, or filters to eliminate unwanted solids like wax fragments and bee parts.
The extraction process is typically carried out in a dedicated space called the "honey house," where all the necessary tools and supplies are prepared beforehand. The costs associated with honey extraction can be significant, encompassing equipment, labor, and operational expenses. A honey extractor, a crucial tool in this process, utilizes centrifugal force to efficiently separate honey from the comb with minimal damage.
Once the honey frames are capped, indicating readiness for harvest, beekeepers remove the frames from the beehive. The uncapped frames are then placed into the extractor, which spins to release the honey. Beekeepers often collaborate in local groups during extraction to share knowledge and make the process enjoyable.
For those unable to invest in a honey extractor, hand extraction is possible, though less efficient. An alternative method is the crush and strain technique, where honey and wax are scraped, crushed, and strained. Harvesting typically takes place twice a year, coinciding with natural nectar flows. The experience of extracting honey can vary based on beekeepers' familiarity, apiary size, and chosen methods, making it both a technical and communal activity.
How Many Times Can A Bee Keeper Harvest Honey?
Experienced beekeepers with strong colonies managed to harvest honey two times in one season, collecting some capped honey in early August. The frequency of honey harvesting depends on various factors, including hive size, weather conditions, climate, and nearby flora. Typically, beekeepers harvest honey two to three times a year, usually between June and September, when conditions are favorable. However, beginners may only be able to harvest once in their first year. The optimal harvesting period is often mid-summer to early fall. It's advisable not to harvest during the first year to allow bees to build up their stores for winter.
Many beekeepers aim for multiple harvests to preserve the unique flavors from different seasons, influenced by the flowers available. Some try to harvest three times a year—early June, early July, and early September—labeling their honey varietally. Capped honey signals its readiness for harvest and can last indefinitely.
While the general guideline suggests harvesting once or twice per year in late summer or early fall, hive productivity and nectar flow also play significant roles. To boost production, beekeepers may reuse comb. Ultimately, honey harvesting frequency varies based on specific hive circumstances, climate, and bee behavior. The best months for harvesting are generally from July to mid-September, enabling beekeepers to maintain healthy colonies while gathering ample honey.
📹 Harvesting 72 Pounds of Pure Honey
Love the article… you got me making my first homemade vanilla. I purchased my beand from Native Vanilla, which helps growers. I got me a bottle of vodka and dropped my beans straight in! Lol… It’s about a 4 cup bottle and I added 25 beans and when I start using it, I’ll top it off, along the way. Thanks for inspiration!😃😃♥️⚘⚘
That was a pretty good harvest just off one seven frames deep. Here in Northwestern Massachusetts I pull honey off my hives and Midsummer which is normally a very floral and light-colored honey. Towards the end of July we will get another heavy flow and it will be a little bit darker honey but not real dark. And then we will have our fall flow of Goldenrod and aster and I usually leave that for the bees. Goldenrod is a very flavorful honey but it smells like dirty socks LOL. Thanks for sharing my friend.
So gorgeous to see those frames of fhoney! We have too may bears on our acreage. One of our hay customers has hives and sells the honey at a reasonable price. She know she can depend on us for prime hay and we can depend on her for prime honey. I stock up in case she has a has a lean year. You probably know that a gallon glass jar holds about 12 lbs of honey :-). It stores forever! I am so happy you have these beautiful hives. ~Diane
very cool! I always told my husband I want bees. Maybe one day. I love all your tips! getting buckets from the bakery! Yes, I store my beans and rice and other prepps in buckets. I am gonna be learning a lot from your website. I love that you are very resourceful. That is so how I am. Glad I found you!
Oh my goodness, I just finished perusal this article and I’m so amazed! Yes you should give a jar of honey away..lol I have subscribed to your website, how did you get started as a bee keeper journey??? I live in a town house setting so I doubt I can take up bee keeper and is there any tips you can give for those who like to get started and don’t have a clue??? I thank you for taking out the time to share
Some of the Bees checked out what you were doing and they said “look what we made” LOL Bees are amazing bugs. I would have preferred the lighter Honey myself. Found Honey for sale that was clear as water, the shop owner said that it was Thistle Honey, that was the mildest Honey I have ever tasted. Thanx for sharing.😃
This was fun to watch. My six year old daughter asked about honey from beehives, so I did a search and this article came up. She loved learning about bees making honey and the harvesting process. At the end she said she loves honey, but that makes her a little nervous – all those bees. Maybe we will try this someday. It will be a good complement to our fruit trees. Thanks for sharing! ❤
I’m not looking to get into beekeeping, but as a baker/cook, I would be interested in testing the difference in flavor, basic sweetness etc between the darker and lighter honeys. I also put honey in my tea, so would be interested in that aspect as well. Especially since there’s bound to be different flora from which these bees get their pollen and nectar where you live. I’m in Iowa, and it seems that unless some farmer has a big apple or cherry orchard, the honey around here is chiefly lavender or clover. Nice basic flavors, but I like tasting different things. 😅 And congrats on the 72-lb harvest! That’s awesome! As a would-be candlemaker as well, I’d be smiling at both the amount of wax and honey. 😁
I’m Butch Logan. I live in southern Arizona. Here in the spring, we get Mesquite and Catclaw honey that is real clear. Tasts real good. Had a old friend, that lived to 110yrs old, and said don’t use sugar for sweetener, use sugar for a long life. You are doing good. Glad I got to see your article. Take care, man.
I used to use a 5 gallon paint strainer to get the honey out of the caps and other stuff. You can just stick it over a 5 gallon bucket and dump the caps in and let it drain. Then you can sort of squish it all out and get every last bit of honey out of that extra wax. Worked really well. They are super cheap too. You can get them from any paint store.
Can i ask for a article? Think that many people could find that interesting. I just purchased my own property, north of Pittsburgh PA. Nothing big, 8 acres overhaul. I was wondering if it’s possible to start my own bee hive. Not to make money, for family and friends. Beginners guide can be very interesting. Thanks!
Thank you for the article explaining how honey is extracted from the frames in the hives. I recently started taking a table spoon of honey every day for the added health things that honey is supposed to aid with. Since then I wanted to learn how the bees made honey and how it was produced. thank you very much for the great article and thank you for being a bee tender and honey farmer.God bless you!
(And your Lord inspired the bees: “Make homes in the mountains, the trees, and in what people construct, and feed from any fruit and follow the ways your Lord has made easy for you.” From their bellies comes forth liquid of varying colours, in which there is healing for people. Surely in this is a sign for those who reflect.) (16:68-69) Translation of Quran.
Something that can help with getting “clear” honey jars (no air bubbles) is a vacuum chamber, which can be gotten for a reasonable price if you look a little, and it’ll pull the air bubbles right out of whatever liquid you are working with. I normally see people use them for working with resin and such, but I figure honey could work just fine.
Awesome content! I have a question. I was given as a gift 5 kg bee pollen, I heard they get bad easily. Flower pollen does not keep for very long as it tends to absorb moisture. Although companies have dried the pollen, it should be used as quickly as possible. My question is how would you storage this amount to be used in the longer run without getting bad? It would be such a waste..😔
I loved perusal your article. We just started beekeeping this March. I have one hive that just swarmed yesterday because they ran out of room in this past three weeks (it’s been raining for about a week and a half, and I haven’t gotten in the hives because of that). Because all the hives are brand new this year, and they’re really only just starting to boom a whole lot, do you think it’d be wise to leave all honey for the bees for the winter? We live in central MO.
Hi I have one burning question. I really really hope you could help quench my curiosity. We see there are white heavy opaque honey on the market claiming they are raw and unpasteurized honey. But the raw unpasteurized honey is what I see in this article aint that right? So how come the market honey are white hardly flowing opaque in appearance? In fact, what are they? I tried asking them but didnt get a definitive answer.
You should plant Black Locust Trees. They make very desirable honey. Tupelo honey is also very desirable. Even if you don’t live far enough south to grow “Nyssa Ogeche”, there are other species of the “Nyssa” genus that also have good honey production and can be grown farther north. There are great varieties of both Black Locust and “Nyssa” trees that are native to the US as well.
I feel lucky to have come across your website. I have wanted my own bees for a few years now and I just want to thankyou for sharing your journey with harvesting honey, I have already learnt so much from your articles and I cant wait to get started. Im in the UK, is there a certain time of the year thats better to get started and set up bees for a first time keeper? also, I use no chemicals at all in my garden, I am trying to make all of my produce organic, but the miles of fields around me do use chemicals, would that mean the honey that my bees would produce wouldn’t be organic? thankyou again ☺
👍👍👍 Thank you for this content! From what I saw through a quick google search, I was under the grossly mistaken impression that any honey that can be poured is highly processed. I love the dark honey that I am getting from western NC and was concerned about that honey being diluted. I saw a photo of their property, where workers were pouring something into a hive from a gallon jug, and thought this was sketchy. Maybe this is part of hive maintenance.
This is great education for me. I only have one active hive. They swarmed from the big redwood box they adopted a couple years ago. Now I know they swarmed because they didn’t have any more room. They like their new hive. I’m pulling out all the honeycomb from the Redwood box to render sometime in the future for the wax.
How do you get un afraid of bees I know honey bee’s aren’t so aggressive but I am afraid of bees i so want to get a couple of hives but I am sort of afraid of them and I know they can sense fear and that is what makes it worse for me. But also I am Mild Allergic to them so that is another factor. But is there a way I could have honey bees.
Yum! Nice Harvest. Do you use wax foundation or plastic or it looks like none on one of those frames. I’ve tried beekeeping for years with little success until this year. I caught a swarm at my kids house last spring. They survive the winter, maybe because I let them have all their honey, and then they split this year. I caught another swarm at the same place at my kids house this year. So now I have three. I’ve never took honey from the first hive but after my inspection yesterday I’m debating. There seems to be lots of capped honey, so… Thoughts?
Very good / interesting. After cleaning the utensils are the scrapings and wax given to the bees for recycling ? – About swarming: Returning to an isolated cabin, on opening the door, got a shock and a WTFreak to do now moment. There was a bee hive hanging from a rafter and almost to the floor, like a 6 foot stalactite. (tights come down. lol) Louvre window was the way in and out and the place was full of crazy bees. Holy smoke ! Good idea. Had a newspaper which I screwed up and lit and waved about. Opened windows and most left. Closed. Filled the place with smoke from the wood stove. Now what ? Plastic sheet on floor, a few hacks with a shovel dropped the whole lot. Dragged all outside. Sudden bright idea. A sloping plank or two, sheet with mess on it, draining into a household plastic bucket. Not efficient harvesting, for sure. Even so, the bucket was 1/2 + full of honey. Manuka. Dragged the remains far from the cabin. Fly spray on outside of windows and door. A few swats with a magazine and the bees were gone. Had very strong tea with honey. Nice
Where in TN are you? I’m in nursing school now and in about 3-4 years we wanna move to Eastern TN near to some family. We live in eastern NC right now and are moving into my in-laws old house in city limits where we are gonna start with a few hives in the backyard. Ultimately we wanna find good land out in TN to homestead and keep more bees/livestock.
Have you ever thought of coating everything with a spray or wipe of an oil of some type that don’t have any taste or odor so that the honey doesn’t stick? Seems like a lot is left that could be saved. I know spraying a measuring spoon or cup with non stick spray keeps the honey from sticking when measuring for baking etc. but just don’t know if that will alter the taste of the honey. It’s doesn’t seem to when using it to bake or cook with.
Sir, if that drum(inside which the honey frames are rotating to create centrifugal force) could have some non-stikcy materials like the cooking pans; won’t we save more honey being gone into wastage?? No doubt you can wipe that with some blade or anything like that but a non-sticky surface(inside off course) could save more honey and over that cleaning won’t be as painful like cleaning the drum. Your thoughts please?? I am not that educated so not sure how much my question is meaningful to you sir!! Pranam!!
Sounds crazy but you may try filtering your capping’s through panty hose. Just stuff them in hang it up over a bucket or lay it on top of your queen excluder. I worked for someone one summer extracting honey and I would run the frames through the centrifuge and filter it through panty hose into 55 gallon drums. He was a fairly big one man operation. He said it was an approved filter and it worked surprisingly well. Just a thought…. 🤷♂
Okay, so like. Imagine you build a house, and you store food the in attic. Life is good and all, but every now and then a giant will just pick the entire attic up and carry it away. And then he returns with the rafters, but you have to build the roof again, and also the food is gone. And you’re just like “oh, okay then”