Linda and I are very new to this. We started the hive in mid-March 2019.
We Started with a single 9 inch Super, with Half of a cement block on top to hold the lid down...
Note: I poured a slab of concrete and used 1/2 inch pipes with caps and flanges attached to a 2 x 4 base to support the hive. White lithium grease on the lower end of the legs prevents ants and other insects from climbing up the legs.
In June we placed a 6 inch box on top of the 9 inch one and then, in August, we placed another 6 inch on top that. The girls lived in 3 boxes for the next six months. We left nearly all of the honey for them to use over the winter.
In mid-february we were concerned that they might have nowhere for the spring brood, so we exchanged one of the 6 inch boxes with an empty one - mixing some of the frames between boxes.
So now we have nearly 8 frames of honey. In order to move the honey from the frames to jars we searched the internet for ideas, and then copied the following method from a youtube video.
I bought a couple of 5 gallon buckets and a paint filter at Home Depot. (click on the photo to enlarge).
I Put the filter in/on the bucket, suspended the first frame over the bucket/filter and...
...used a pastry scraper to scrape the wax and honey into the bucket.
This afternoon I did three frames this way.
I put the frames in a spare bucket, removed the filter
containing wax and honey and set it aside.
I then poured the honey that was in the bucket directly into a few jars.
Now going back to the filter, I turned the filter inside out.. leaving the wax and honey in the casserole dish.
I placed the dish in the microwave- heating it four or five times for one minute each time.
the result was a casserole dish
(9 inches x 3 inches high) full of honey with a wax top.
the next day, i took That wax from the top of in the casserole dish and placed it on a paper plate and microwaved it for a couple of minutes. The impurities bubbled and started to smoke, on top of the melted wax.
I poured the honey onto another paper plate to let it cool and harden, but before it hardened, I placed a butter knife on the plate for perspective in this photo.
Very neat to see the wax become clear and pure.
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