# Extracting honey without



## vicb66 (Oct 20, 2007)

Fancy equipment.I can't imagine all of this nifty stuff from Mann's is truly necessary.Tell me the best basic methods for keeping bees.


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## Dirtslinger (Feb 10, 2007)

While it sets your next year crop back a little, you can crush/strain your honey combs. I have used large pails and cheesecloth. Messy but works great.
It's getting late, the honey may be crystalizing in the combs making it useless for all but bee food. Get on it.


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## OkieDavid (Jan 15, 2007)

As Dirt said, crush and strain (cut the comb out of the frame and crush it with your hand, board etc... and strain it through something). Alternatively, find a beekeep with that "fancy equipment" and offer to assist him pulling honey, moving bees or clean up his honey house in exchange for letting you run your frames through his extractor.......Beekeeps LOVE the barter system


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## Kmac15 (May 19, 2007)

with only one or two hives I just crush and drain mine. I use the wax to make candles and to 'paint' wax on plastic brood frames. As stated it can be a bit more expensive but cheaper than the extracting equipment.


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## indypartridge (Oct 26, 2004)

I get together with a few other hobbyists in the fall and we have an "extraction day" in a church kitchen. A couple of beeks bring extractors, and we all work together and have a good time.

I can also borrow an extractor from the local beek that I buy bees and equipment from. He has a couple that he loans out to his customers, with the only requirement that they are returned clean.


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## Batt (Sep 8, 2006)

Get with a local beekeepers group. They usually have equipment to loan to group members free or very low cost. The membership fee for the group I belong to is $5 /yr. Use of equipment and library is free. Can't beat that.


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## Durandal (Aug 19, 2007)

You can certainly crush and strain in.

Linda has a rather video of it on her blog site: http://beekeeperlinda.blogspot.com/2007/06/honey-harvest-crush-and-strain.html

As well as other stuff. You does it all manually and in her kitchen.


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