EARLY Spring HONEY HARVEST - Start to Finish - SIMPLE HARMONY Farms Uncapper & More
Vložit
- čas přidán 8. 09. 2024
- We harvested honey yesterday, the earliest we have ever done it. This video documents every step of the day from removing the honey boxes from the hives to the actual extraction process. Also returning honey boxes to the hives and bottling up some honey for sale. The video is a little lengthy but it covers a lot of ground. I hope you will watch to the end! Enjoy!!!
To subscribe to brucesbees go to this link: / brucejenne
Thanks for watching!!’
#beekeeping #beekeeper #honeybees #brucesbees #honey #honeyharvest #springhoney #simpleharmonyuncapper #bees #beehive #beeescapes #beesarecool
I use the big black binder clips (paper clips) from office max to to hold the strainer at the top of the bucket.
Hey that’s not a bad idea at all. Thanks for the input!
Bruce, I'll take a couple pictures of my filter set up for 5 gallon buckets. So much easier. Stay tuned.
Please do. You can send the pictures to me at Bruce Jenne on Messenger or email them to bruce@brucesbees.com. Thanks!
Simple.
Hang the paint strainer above the bucket on a broom handle or something.
Then walk off.
Nice harvest, Bruce! Love that beautiful golden color honey.
Yes it is very nice. Was not quite the take I had expected but I have to keep telling myself it was the first weekend in May! I usually done harvest until about mid May for the first time.
Nice Pull!!!
Yes it was pretty nice for this early in the year but I hope to get much more in a few more weeks.
Mr. Bruce, Did I see you are from Dothan Alabama.....I love the area there. In addition to being a hobby beekeeper My wife and I have been Southern Gospel Singers for years and have sung in churches around Dothan. Love your bee yard...it looks like my neighborhood and reminds me of a field on my Dad's property bordering the woods where we hunt deer. Nice video...!!!
Yes I live in Dothan and I agree it is a nice place! Thanks for checking in!
I went through my hives yesterday. I have one hive that is just astounding. I have taken three nucs off of it,which for early May is amazing. Evey colony is bringing in nectar, But this one has a full super. Amazing for this time of year.this colony is going to be my source for breeding. When it is mostly capped I will put on an escape board and harvest it. Honey in May in eastern Washington state!
Yes this does sound amazing for eastern Washington. Seems like it would still be kind of cold up there.
I use a bottling bucket strainer from Dadant. About the same micron filtration but not as much volume as your paint strainer. Would likely require more frequent clean out than your operation would settle for. Works fine for a 3 frame monkey organ grinder extractor like mine though.
Is it the metal one with two levels of filtration?
No, this one is a plastic one that comes with their bottling bucket.
It is a two piece filtration system though.
Probably similar to the metal one. My problem with those historically is that they clog with wax easily. But I need to figure something out. May need to check into it. Thanks!
Yes, it does clog some. Like I said, on your scale it likely would just slow you down. You might be able to rig up something like an old wringer washer to run your bags through and squeeze them?....Good luck! You'll find something to work for you.
You need some serious filters. I do have one but you will have to go to Europe to get one. The ones that work best sit just above the pail. They are maid of sailers steel and clean up real nice. Works better than paint filters. Good luck with your main flow honey.
Thanks for the tip!
This will be our first year to harvest! I was in the hives yesterday and I have one super on now and they are ready I am gonna under super them all tomorrow!
Exciting stuff. I wish you the best. It’s always a little nerve racking waiting. This was only our first harvest and it is usually our smallest. I usually wait another couple of weeks until mid May but the demand has been so high and the bees has a little to take so I went ahead and harvested. We typically have a really big flow in May and early June. I hope it comes to fruition. We seem to kind of be between flows right now. Some of the bees have kind of hit a wall just in the last few days. It’s always something...I will need a whole bunch more honey to fill demand. Not sure if I will be able to hold onto this for long.
Good luck with yours. I hope they pack it in!!!
I watched a video of a man in Australia who used a regular heat gun to open the caps on his honey and it was amazing. Just a quick brush across the surface and he was finished. Not enough time to heat the honey but the caps just melted away. He didn't have very much cappings in his honey either. It might be worth looking into since you have a smaller operation.
Yes I have heard of that. Might be worth a try. I like the uncapper I bought though. I do like to have some cappings for nice beeswax.
@@brucesbees I can understand that too. Nothing like fresh beeswax especially the nice capping wax. The heat gun might be a good option for the thinner, less filled out areas that don't rise above the frame edges.
Ok that uncapper is a game changer
Yes it is very nice.
That uncapper is a game changer for sure!! Great video!
Yes we like it. Thanks for checking in!
Nice looking honey Bruce some liquid gold right there👍
Yes!!! It is so good and the demand is already high. Not sure how long I will be able to hold onto it.
Bruce, I had that same uncapper and used it a couple times before selling it. I rely on wax for candles and such. There is very few wax cappings from this uncapper because it's only slicing the cells open, and that's the only reason I sold it.
I'd also add that the uncapper works well with a radial (power) extractor, I have an 18 frame, but not so good with my 4 frame tangential hand crank extractor. Just slicing open the cells made it very difficult to sling out the honey via muscle-power.
Good to know thanks!
Hi Bruce. I'm liking the uncapper and will probably get one of these time savers,...Uncapping with an electric knife is probably my least favourite beekeeping job.Great videos,...a big thanks and please keep safe.
Yes I had to figure out something that was faster than the way we did it before.
Robbing tip...
Keep a spray bottle with 1/3 liquid smoke 2/3 water. When the bees start the robbing cluster mist them with the liquid and mist the air around the robbing area. It stops it quick.
Hey thanks for the tip. I might have to try that!
brucesbees I keep the spray bottle handy all the time. I have some aggressive bees. If they get a little to aggressive I mist the air and it sends them home. For the most part.
Bruce, if you take a 5 gal bucket and put holes in it. Put your strainer in the bucket. Then set that bucket over another clean bucket with some narrow pieces of wood holding it. This will we negate the lifting to strain. At least initially.
Yes that’s kind of what I was thinking. Trying to create some sort of rack.
If the extractor gate is open, as it should be during extraction and the bucket with holes is in another bucket then when it's time to move to another bucket you have a mess when you lift out the one with holes. Instead, use a bucket of a different color cut off completely about a 1/4 inch from the "handle lip" so this one will nest inside another bucket. put your strainer attached to this partial bucket and stop filling as the honey reaches the bottom of the "filter" bucket (easy to see as the buckets are different colors). This should be easy to lift with your "pulley system"since the partial bucket has a handle and you are just lifting out the strainer.
That uncapper seems very efficient. I just ran out of honey last week....hope to see you soon.
I have some now. Just let me know🍯🙂
Looks like that may be the best under $2000 uncapper!
We will see how it holds out but I like it so far. It struggles a little with old hard comb and brand new comb but the pin roller takes care of those issues. So far after two uses and about 85 or 90 gallons worth of honey harvesting I give it a thumbs up!
Nice haul. Hopefully I’ll get a load this year
I hope so too. Good luck and thanks for checking in!!
Nice video thanks for the demonstration. Enjoy seeing families work together. I'm sure you said before but I don't remember what state are you? I am from West Kentucky and things seem a little slow this year.
Southeast Alabama. We have had a good year but as I prepared these bees for harvest I determined that at least in Ozark, we must be between flows. They started robbing some when I was working the hives. Last week I harvested at Honey Hill Farm and they had a bunch of honey, but I think there is a lot of clover in the surrounding area. Unfortunately those are not my bees. Would like to get some out there close though. Thanks for checking in. I hope our next flow kicks in soon or I might be in trouble.
Could you post a link to that very cool uncapped you have there sir? Thanks so much. Great video! 🐝😎
Looks like Brian already took care of it for me. Thanks for checking in.
Thanks so much fellas! I appreciate it! 🐝😎
Bee escapes work, but they leave the super unprotected. Most people in the south have problems with them because they leave them on too long and wait a day or 2 to extract. Small Hive Beetle eggs hatch between 2 and 4 days and they find SHB larva in some of the frames. You've got your harvest routine running like a top and with no angry bees.
Yes I hope ideally to leave the bee escapes on for 48 hours, pull and harvest immediately. This time the escapes were on more like a day and a half. Still worked pretty well but a few bees were in some of the boxes. I think I am going to buy a battery powered leaf blower just in case.
@@brucesbees Home Depot has are gas powered Echo that is pretty darn good for like $160
I'm in Connecticut and quite jealous you are getting honey already. We just had Dandelions come into full bloom. (Do weeds bloom?)
Some do but not familiar with the different varieties.
Hi Fred, I am also in CT! We have wild flowers blooming but it has been a chilly start to spring. Too early for a good nectar flow here. I am also jealous 😏
That's quite a bit of Honey. Hoping to get a few boxes this year myself but I only have 4 hives big enough to do much. Next couple of years will prove good tho. What's the name of that capping crusher ..I gotta look into those.
Simple Harmony Farms Uncapper
you're getting honey and I'm scrapping snow off my hives and chasing off the first bear.. the less you spend on fancy eq,, the more money for your self unless you are pressed for time. what does the frame look like after using that decapper and spinning the honey out.
No doubt, but as my operation has grown I have definitely become pressed for time. Here is a video I did of our second harvest last year. Maybe you can get a better idea of how everything works by watching it. The frames look great after spinning and are very light. The new uncapper works great and the wax and frames emerge in good shape.
That's a real nice bunch of honey Bruce. I like your setup too. How did you get so much honey so early in the season?
It’s just been a unique year. Everything has been a little early. I actually do don’t have as much as I thought I would have. I think we are actually between flows now. Hope the next one kicks in soon (tallow). It is usually my biggest flow of the year.
Where did you buy that “Pin Roller” you used....
Not sure but they have them at most bee supply companies like Mann Lake etc
Hello Bruce love your videos. Where did you get your trailer? I have been looking for a red one.
A local place called Bigdawg Equipment. Quality product. Fair price. I think I paid around $2K for it a year ago. 7’X16’. It’s a little more than I need but is nice to have. They have a fb page. Might be worth checking into.
@@brucesbees Thanks buddy, I will check them out next week!
Nothing like reaping your harvest from your hard work and effort. Can I purchase some honey if I send you a prepaid shipping label and cost for the honey ?
Yes I can send you some. Send me a message on Messenger at Bruce Jenne or email me at bruce@brucesbees.com and we can get it figured out.
Hey Bruce....Where did you buy the tank that you mounted your new uncapper on....I don’t have a tank that works ....
We actually bought that at Walmart but later in the year my friend Rusty rigged me up a nice one from an old oyster shucking table. It works great! You can see the set up here: czcams.com/video/QOsNHHKsGao/video.html
Hey Bruce! Glad to see you are pulling honey so early in the year. Quick question. Do you only sell one size or do you offer your customers multiple size options? I find when I am talking with customers they get confused about the different size options.
I primarily try to sell in the one poun squeeze bottles but have one client that sells a lot of honey and I sell to him in pints. I also bottle some up per request in the glass Muth jars with a beeswax seal. I am pretty much willing to sell it any way they want per request but focus most of my efforts on the one pound awareness bottles. Also, occasionally I will sell five gallon buckets but prefer not to so that because the profits are traduces when you sell in bulk.
@@brucesbees Thanks! That is kind of what I figured. I think I am going to try to do that same thing this year to see how it goes.
I am still trying to figures things out lol. I am always changing it seems. I guess that is part of trying to grow a little sideliner business.
@@brucesbees so true!
I like the darker fall honey. Who does your labels
I believe we order them from Blue Sky.
Nice job Bruce....what is the name of the uncapper you used....
Simple Harmony Farms Uncapper
That uncapper is a game changer but $400? Ill stick to my electric knife until others make one more affordable.
Sounds good. We have used other methods as well for the past 6 or 7 years but have hit the threshold now where we just need to be faster. The uncapper has already paid for itself in the past few days with honey sales.
I think it o smart to use whatever system you use if it works for you. The slower methods just do not worm for me any knots in my situation. Thanks for checking in!
Hey Bruce. I’m new to your channel. I’ve enjoyed the videos I’ve watched so far. I’m a former music minister from Ozark, the Ewell community. Do you know a beekeeper named Steve Maund from Ozark? I have used the five gallon buckets and paint strainer. I’ll send you a picture of my setup. Basically you make an adaptor to sit one bucket with strainer on top of another bucket for storing/catching honey. No need to lift strainer up out of honey.
That would be great! Don’t know Steve as far as I know. I spent a lot of time in the Ewell Community growing up. I was friends with some of the Phipps kids. I grew up in Newton and live in Dothan now. It would be great if you could send me a picture of you straining method. You can send it to Bruce Jenne on Messenger or email me at bruce@brucesbees.com. Thanks!
I was just curious how do you clean your uncapper
Just spray it down. It cleans very easily.
Where do you get your labels made? Thanks
Blue Sky Bee Supply. Just ordered some today!
Hey Bruce, I am from SC...Do you know Neil Outlaw from Dothan?
Doesn’t ring a bell.
Bruce, do you use escape boards?
Yes just started this year. Trying to make my life easier.
czcams.com/video/pBN94RmBvCo/video.html
czcams.com/video/ZWCIzqA3HsM/video.html
I will check out your video. I have not used them yet but it seems like it is easier on both the bees and me.
Bruce, what do you like to sell your honey for? I’m in just my 2nd year here in Atlanta.
$7 for a one pound squeeze bottle but that is actually a little cheap. Thought about going to $8 but with the coronavirus decided to stay at $7. I also sell some in glass Muth jars with wax dipped seals and charge more for those but it is a lot of work!
Yes I really need to go up a little.
But I know pricing is somewhat regional.
Are down south or north
Southeast Alabama
@@brucesbees im in central GA