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. End

Anyone can read this "Bee Blog" but only members may interact on it. Create a "log in". If you go to the Members tab and you see this message.... ... then you aren't a member. Go to the "MEMBERS" tab, Click Log Inn and join! By joining, you are not making your email address public information, But consider this... every time you buy something over the internet, or use an app that required your email address, your email address is already out there. At least here at this bee club your email is not public information. Like I mentioned previously, the meetings are a great way to share our interest in bees, but there's just not enough time at an occasional meeting to talk about the problems we encounter and to try to get insights on how others dealt with similar problems. Posting here to this blog is one way to share your success, get help with your problems, as well lend a hand to others. Based on the attendance and the many lively conversations that were going on at the recent meeting there is a lot of enthusiasm. The bees are endlessly fascinating. Some times the challenges seem to be overwhelming, but we are each motivated to have our bees thrive.