Honey Production & Harvesting

The quick answer is that raw honey is better for your health because it keeps all its natural vitamins, enzymes, and antioxidants. Pasteurized honey is heated at high temperatures, which kills many of these healthy parts just to make the…

The Quick Answer: Generally, no. It is not safe to harvest honey for human consumption from a hive while it is being treated with chemical medications. You should not harvest honey immediately after a treatment either. Most mite treatments require…

The Quick Answer: To use a honey refractometer, you must first calibrate it. Place a drop of calibration fluid or extra virgin olive oil on the main prism. Adjust the calibration screw until the shadow line reads exactly 71.5 percent…

How much profit does beekeeping make per year? On average, a small hobbyist beekeeper with 5 to 50 hives can make a net profit of $500 to $10,000 per year. A medium scale operator with 50 to 200 hives can…

The best way to store uncapped honey frames over winter is to first test the moisture content with a refractometer. If moisture is at or below 17%, freeze the frames for 48 hours to kill wax moth eggs and larvae,…

The best way to make creamed honey at home is to mix one part “seed honey” with nine parts liquid honey and store the mixture at 57°F ($14$°C) for two weeks. This controlled process creates tiny sugar crystals that give…

The best way to bottle honey without bubbles or foam is to let the honey sit in a settling tank for at least 48 to 72 hours before bottling. This allows air trapped during extraction to rise naturally to the…

The best jars for shipping honey without leaks are food-grade plastic squeeze bottles with flip-top lids for everyday shipping, and glass Queenline jars with metal lug caps for premium orders. Both must be sealed with a foil induction liner and placed inside individual zip-lock…

If you are a beekeeper looking for a straight answer, here it is: A standard 10-frame medium honey super will produce between 30 and 40 pounds of honey when it is fully capped. If you choose to use a 10-frame…

To harvest honey from a top-bar hive, you must carefully select fully capped honeycombs, cut the comb away from the top bar while leaving a small starter strip for the bees, and use the “crush and strain” method to extract…