Honey Extractors – How they Work and Where to Find One

If you’re serious about keeping bees, at one point or another, you will think about getting yourself a honey extractor. On the other hand, know that you shouldn’t jump on the first on the first extractor you see on the Net because this equipment is used only a few times in one year. If you have only a few beehives and want the best honey extractors, consider borrowing instead of buying a new one. After all, extractors can be quite expensive.

Members of local beekeeping clubs are a pretty friendly bunch and would be willing to lend their extractor to fellow beekeepers. If not, you can always pay them to use their extractor. Also, some beekeeping organizations pool their money to buy an expensive extractor, and then share it among themselves. If you haven’t joined a beekeeping club, this is the perfect time to do so.

There are different methods of removing honey from combs aside from using an extractor. The problem with other methods is that they tend to destroy the combs. With extractors, the combs stay intact and ready to be re-used in the hive. Thus, your bees don’t have to spend energy and time trying to rebuild a new honeycomb after each harvest.

When the time comes that you’ll need your own extractor, you need to know the basics. First off, an extractor is essentially a centrifuge, and may be either tangential or radial. Some extractors are powered by an electric motor, while others are driven by hand.

Extractors feature a cage inside to hold the beehive frames, which are spun around so that the honey flings out from the honeycomb cells by centrifugal force. The honey then runs down to the bottom of the container, drawn off through a faucet at the bottom, and voila! You now have harvested honey.

If you’re looking for the best honey extractors, first identify the reason why you keep bees. If you’re doing the whole beekeeping hobby for business purposes, go for an extractor that can hold more than a hundred frames at once so that you can collect gallons of honey in one go.

Those who extract honey on a small scale can usually get by with an extractor that can accommodate only a few frames.

Sometimes, the best honey extractors can’t be found in stores, but rather constructed by beekeepers themselves. With the right materials, enough know-how and some DIY skills, you’ll be able to save loads of cash.

Alternatively, you can buy second hand honey extractors. Look for local beekeepers who own extractors they no longer use. Also consider looking for advertisements on the local paper, or posting an ad saying you need an extractor.

You clearly have so many options when looking for a honey extractor. Explore your choices to keep your wallet happy.