I been extracting my honey in the shop for years now. Every Spring I switch the shop over from building bee hives and reloading mode into honey extraction mode. I then have all the frames setting outside on a board held up with saw horses and as I extract and spin a frame I take it out and put it away while grabbing another frame.....
Never have had a problem with this method but I have never extracted this late in the year either.
This afternoon I think every bee from five miles around was attempting to get into the shop with me.
I finally got all the frames de-capped and spun out but I haven't crushed the cappings yet nor turned the extractor over to drain all the way because if I do the bees will be all up in my honey that I officially stole from them.
At about sundown I covered everything I had left, the de-capping tank, extractor with honey left in it, half filled five gallon bucket number 2, and opened the windows on the shop. I am hoping the girls go back tot he hives when it gets dark so I can go out there and finish.
I can't really let the residual honey flow openly with that many bees inside because they will be all down in the filtered honey too.
If it ends up that I can't turn the extractor and tank over to drip completely I will lose maybe half a pound of honey so no big deal but I have learned my lesson about extracting honey late in the year while it is warm enough for the bees to fly. They were all over my shop and coming in up under the door. The entire building was covered with bees.
Anyway I will catch up with comments and blogs either later this evening or tomorrow evening. I have to work another 12 hour shift tomorrow and get this honey extracted as best I can. Our first frost is scheduled for tomorrow night.
Oh and to make matters worse. It starts raining off and on. No rain forecast and no rain has fallen in over a month but when I am pressed for time and got stuff setting out that should not get rained on... Guess what happens....
Keep Prepping Everyone!!!!!!
I sealed my doors with weather stripping. Course you still have to open the door to go in & out & then they fly in. Maybe the bee vac would work to suck up the stragglers tonight if they don't all leave. & I bet they don't.. You could turn them loose later.
ReplyDeleteI do my honey at night for this very reason, I have to do it in the kitchen and couldnt do with the bees flocking into the house, soumds like you have a good harvest :-)
ReplyDeleteI am amazed at the energy that bees have and their fortitude in getting what they want, which in this case was to retrieve the honey you had taken from them! Hope you did not get stung again, .....
ReplyDeleteCrazy bees. Never know what's in their little brains except I think they are food driven. They're out and about here, too, and into any and all blooms that are still blooming which makes pulling out garden stuff interesting. Stay safe ;-)
ReplyDeletePP,
ReplyDeleteBee's are down right crazy but determined, lol......
Live and learn I guess. Hope the rest of the work is more uneventful!!
ReplyDeleteThat's really fascinating. I would love to see more pictures.
ReplyDeleteThey are very determined where a food source is involved...
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