# Extraction and leaving comb



## McDaid36 (Jul 15, 2011)

We have just a few frames of honey in the honey super from a very active hive (not expected since this is our first year of bees!) and don't have an extractor. I was wondering if there was any way we can extract the honey some old fashioned way, yet leave the comb intact for them to have a head start next year. All the things I read say to squash the comb and set frame at an incline for the honey to drip out. Is there any way to get the honey out without ruining the comb? Or should I not even worry about it and they will draw it out again easy enough next year? 
Thanks for any suggestions!


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

If you belonged to a club the club may have an extractor they loan to members for free or a small fee. There maybe other members who extract for a fee or a share of the honey, *KEEP IN MIND THE CAPPING WAX HAS VALUE TOO.* 
Even just looking at your states bee keeping web site may reveal a ad to extract honey for a fee uch as the ad on SEMBA'S web sites bargin corner.

There are also some web sites where you can find plans to make a home made extractor just goggle home made extractor. 

The crush and strain method works but next season the bees have to rebuild the comb and that sets them back on the production amount of honey. I was just reading this morning that the old timers figured 20 pounds of honey to make a pound of wax. In a newer (1971) finding they revised that figure to 7 or 8 pounds of honey for each pound of wax.

 Al


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