Should I Wait till full?

Flow Hive
1

Do you guys wait till a frame is 100% full before harvesting? What is the common thought?

Thanks

2

It is rare to get a frame 100% full. I wait until they are at least 90% full and 90% capped. :blush:

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3

Thanks @Dawn_SD you are always so helpful.

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4

Waiting until mostly capped is critical if you harvest insitu to avoid flooding issues. Personally, so long as it is more than about 60% capped I’m prepared to harvest insitu, I just do it slower (5 increments) rather than if it’s 80+% capped (3 increments).

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5

80-90% + capped is what we recommend :slight_smile:
Before this point, the moisture content is likely to be too high, and your honey will tend to ferment… so unless you like mead…

6

@Freebee2 Agreed, except you can measure moisture content and capped cells, while a very reliable indicator the moisture content is low, isn’t a failsafe indication either.

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7

Yes that’s true, I don’t use a refractometer but realise many beekeepers do, and yes this would be even more reliable :slight_smile:
I think it’s fair to say that in the absence of proper testing, you could consider harvesting with less than 80% capping at risk of being premature

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8

Agreed :+1:

… Fill the word count to post

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