Laserfiche WebLink
Beekeeping in Northern Climates <br />PROPERTIES OF HONEY <br />Ɣ (YHU\KRQH\KDVDGHOLFLRXVXQLTXHÀDYRUWKDWUHÀHFWVWKHWLPHRI\HDUDQGÀRUDOODQGVFDSHLQZKLFKLW <br />was produced. <br />Ɣ +RQH\LVYLVFRXV9LVFRXVLVDIDQF\ZRUGWKDWEDVLFDOO\PHDQVWKLFNZKHQFROGDQGUXQQ\ZKHQZDUP <br />This property is important to remember when extracting and handling honey. Warm honey will be easier <br />to extract and strain than cold honey. <br />Ɣ +RQH\FRQWDLQVOHVVWKDQPRLVWXUH,I\RXUHPRYHVRPHWKLQJWKDWORRNVOLNHKRQH\IHHOVOLNH <br />KRQH\DQGWDVWHVOLNHKRQH\EXWKDVPRUHWKDQPRLVWXUHLWZLOOPRVWOLNHO\IHUPHQWLQDVKRUW <br />time. If left on the bee colony, the bees will lower the moisture content for you. If it is not possible to <br />OHDYHWKHVXSHUVRQDFRORQ\ORZHUWKHPRLVWXUHFRQWHQWE\XVLQJDGHKXPLGL¿HUDQGIDQLQDVPDOO <br />room with the supers. Interestingly, bees change the chemical properties of nectar themselves as they <br />GHK\GUDWHQHFWDULQWRKRQH\$GYDQFHGKRQH\WHVWLQJFDQGHWHFWZKHQDSHUVRQXVHVDGHKXPLGL¿HU <br />FRPSDUHGWRZKHQWKHEHHVWKHPVHOYHVUHGXFHWKHPRLVWXUHOHYHO%HHNHHSLQJRUJDQL]DWLRQVDQG <br />suppliers may have a refractometer available to measure honey moisture content. <br />Ɣ +RQH\LVK\JURVFRSLF+\JURVFRSLFPHDQVWKDWKRQH\ZLOODEVRUEPRLVWXUHIURPWKHVXUURXQGLQJDLULI <br />left uncovered. If the honey absorbs too much moisture it may ferment. <br />Ɣ +RQH\ZLOOJUDQXODWHRUFU\VWDOOL]H+RQH\JUDQXODWHVDWGLIIHUHQWUDWHVGHSHQGLQJRQWKHSODQWVIURP <br />ZKLFKWKHQHFWDUKDVEHHQFROOHFWHG5HIULJHUDWLRQDFFHOHUDWHVWKHFU\VWDOOL]DWLRQSURFHVV7KHUHDUH <br />ZD\VWRVORZGRZQRUVSHHGXSWKHSURFHVVRIJUDQXODWLRQEXWLWLVLQHYLWDEOH+RQH\GRHVQRWJR <br />EDGZKHQLWJUDQXODWHV7ROLTXHI\KRQH\ZDUP GRQ<br />WKHDW WRDERXWƒ)+RQH\LVPDGHXSRI <br />GLIIHUHQWVXJDUV0RVWFDQOLTXLI\DWƒ)KRZHYHUVRPHZLOOUHTXLUHKHDWLQJWRƒ)2YHUKHDWLQJRU <br />IHUPHQWDWLRQFDQGDPDJHWKHKRQH\¶VÀDYRU7RSURWHFWÀDYRUZHKLJKO\UHFRPPHQGWKDW\RXGRQRW <br />heat honey over 120°F. <br />EXTRACTING HONEY <br />Equipment <br />Ɣ 8QFDSSLQJWKHKRQH\LVWKH¿UVWVWHSLQH[WUDFWLQJ<RXQHHGDWOHDVWRQHRIWKHIROORZLQJFDSSLQJ <br />VFUDWFKHUXQFDSSLQJNQLIHXQFDSSLQJSODQHRUDXWRPDWLFXQFDSSHU<RXZLOODOVRQHHGDQXQFDSSLQJ <br />tray to catch the wax cappings. <br />Ɣ <RXZLOOQHHGDQH[WUDFWRUHLWKHUSRZHURUKDQGFUDQNWRH[WUDFWWKHKRQH\7KLVFHQWULIXJDOGHYLFH <br />spins out the honey from the wax cells without destroying the comb structure. Extractors come in radial <br />or tangential types. The radial type will extract both sides of the comb at the same time. The tangential <br />type will require that frames be manually turned around to get both sides extracted. <br />Ɣ $VWKHKRQH\FRPHVRXWRIWKHH[WUDFWRUVWUDLQLWLQWRDEXFNHWRURWKHUUHFHSWDFOH<RXUVWUDLQHUFDQEH <br />DFRDUVHVFUHHQWRJHWWKHODUJHSLHFHVRIZD[DQ\ORQFORWKWRVWUDLQDOOWKHZD[RUDGRXEOHVFUHHQ D <br />FRXUVHVFUHHQZLWKD¿QHUVFUHHQEHORZ 6WUDLQLQJSURGXFHVDFOHDQSURGXFWE\UHPRYLQJGHEULVDQG <br />wax pieces. <br />Ɣ )LOWHULQJKRQH\LVDGLIIHUHQWSURFHVVWKDWUHPRYHVSROOHQJUDLQVDQGRWKHUSDUWLFOHVWKDWDUH <br />PLFURQDQGODUJHU)LOWHULQJLVQRUPDOO\GRQHE\ODUJHVFDOHKRQH\SDFNHUVDQGLVQRWQHFHVVDU\RU <br />UHFRPPHQGHGIRUVPDOOVFDOHEHHNHHSHUV <br />Ɣ <RXZLOOQHHGWRVWRUH\RXUKRQH\VRPHZKHUHXQWLO\RXERWWOHLW'HSHQGLQJRQ\RXUKRQH\KDUYHVWWKLV <br />PD\EHTXDUWMDUVJDOORQMXJVJDOORQSDLOVJDOORQEDUUHOVRUDWDQNHU<RXPD\¿QGLWLVHDVLHUWR <br />OLTXHI\FU\VWDOOL]HGKRQH\VWRUHGLQJODVVUDWKHUWKDQSODVWLF