Getting honey from framed beehives is a careful process to keep everyone safe and make good honey. First, we check if the hive is ready by looking at the frames for honey cells that are sealed, which shows the honey is finished and ready to take. This is usually done in late summer or early fall. We also make sure the bees are calm by working in the middle part of the day when most bees are out foraging.

 

     Next, we use a bee smoker to calm the bees. The smoke hides their alarm signals and helps keep them from getting aggressive. When the bees are calmer, the beekeeper carefully removes the honey boxes (called supers) with a tool. We then check each frame for honey, take out the frames, and put them in a container for honey extraction. Care is taken not to hurt the bees or damage the hive.

 

     After collecting the frames, the honey is extracted. The frames are taken to a special area. Then we remove the wax caps from the honey cells with a frame knife or fork so the honey can flow out. The frames are then spun in a machine called a honey extractor, which uses spinning to force the honey out. The honey is then filtered to remove wax and bee parts. Finally, the honey is jared, labeled, and ready to sell or enjoy. Throughout everything, cleanliness is important to keep the honey pure and tasty.