• Harvest early in the morning or late in the evening when the bees are less active.
Procedure /steps of honey harvesting.
1. Approach the hive quietly.
2. Using a smoker, puff/blow smoke all-round the sides of the hive. Then introduce smoke inside the hive gradually. The smoke makes honey start eating honey thus becoming heavy and inactive
3. Lower the beehive to the ground and remove the hive’s top cover.
4. Then systematically remove the top bars each in turn and check for comb formation. If the comb is light in color, it contains honey but if it is dark colored, then it has brood.
5. Scrap off the bees from combs with the use of the bee brush.
6. Cut the comb from each top bar leaving 3 cm from the surface for attachment of new combs.
7. Place the cut comb in a clean container and cover tightly to prevent bees continuing eating honey.
8. Place back the bars and do not disturb the brood.
9. Return the hive to its position.
HONEY HARVESTING EQUIPMENTS.
1. Protective gear- Overall- It protects the body from bee stings,
Veil- It protects the head and covers the face up to the neck,
Hand gloves- they protect the hands, Gum boots- They protect the legs.
2. Bee brush –brush off bees from the combs into the hive before cutting the combs.
3. Hive tool- It is used for cutting honeycombs during harvesting and also separate the top bars (by scrapping the propolis holding the bars together).
4. Container with tight cover- Used to hold honey after harvesting.
Honey processing.
It refers to extraction of honey from the honey combs.
Methods of extracting processing honey:
A. Using heat to melt the honey.
B. Crushing and straining.
C. Using a centrifugal extractor.
A. Heat Method.
Heat some water in a sufuria.
Put honey combs in an enamel basin or any other container which is not made of iron.
Put the container with honey combs on the boiling water.
Heat until most of the honey melts.
Separate the melted honey from the combs by straining through a muslin cloth.
Keep honey in a container to cool down.
Remove the wax layer that may form on the surface of the honey.
B) CRUSHING AND STRAINING METHOD.
Procedure:
i. Crush the combs and strain using a muslin cloth into the enamel basin.
ii. Remove the scum formed using wooden spoon.
iii. Put honey in a suitable container (plastic or glass jars) that is tightly closed.
C. USING A CENTRIFUGAL EXTRACTOR.
A centrifugal extractor is used in large scale production.
The Centrifugal/rotary motion extracts/forces out honey an