In South Africa, smaller beekeepers use a very simple solar separator by drawing fine nylon lace curtain over a bucket. We use bungi cord to keep it in place and then place the wax on the curtain. Place a pane of glass over the bucket and put it in a area where it will get full sun for at least 6 hours. Under the glass it warms up and as the wax melts it oozes through the lace material and drip into the bottom of the bucket. By the time it reaches the bottom the wax solidify but not the honey. The nylon lace also acts as a siv and trap any legs, wings etc that might be in the way. So now you have honey and clean wax.What remains on the curtain just simply separates from the nylon when you do your clean up.
I use a cheap chinese wax press to finish off the cappings and it takes a day or so to press out the remaining honey and every time I pass the press I give it another screw. You will be amazed at how much honey is left in the wax.
I have so much wax it’s just a lot to leave out in the weather each day, so I scoop the dry and drain the wet and melt it as soon as I can. I leave my bees with about 60 to 80 pounds this time of year, so they have enough. Plus they do get all the wet supers and anything that is uncapped in the supers. I used to do the same thing as you do, but now I have like 6 full totes and buckets each season and it’s just so much for them to sift through and fight over and it tends to yield a bunch of dead bees.
Interesting. I have a wax press. I think I will do this even after pressing. Why not? I generally keep selectively harvesting a few select frames every week or so until the end of the Golden Rod flow. The wax just sits in a bucket until I melt it down anyway. Adding a spacer or other suspension for a screen in a tub like that would garner a bit more! Thanks, what a super idea.
Yes, I guess they're pretty backed up. I was able to get my tank and back in February another piece of Maxant equipment I've yet to share to you all from Rossman in Georgia. Since I know friends nearby them, they went and got them for me. The recent purchase was not in stock at Maxant, but Rossman had it. AND, they sold it to me for the old price and not the new mark up. Was a great deal.
Every little bees its whole life to make a little dab of honey so I am like you and don't try to throw much away. Nice little method. Hope you had a nice weekend Mike.
Mike, after you shovel the dryer cappings out, just before you start making wax patties, have you ever laid a box fan down on the tank blowing onto the remainder of the wet wax? I don’t have a nice uncapping tank like you but I think a fan blowing down onto the wet wax would force out just as much honey. Not only the air blowing but the vibration of the fan could free up the honey from the wax cappings. Do me a favor and try it for 12 or 18 hours sometime if you can. Thanks for the video!
Never thought of that Don. I just scoop and go. I don’t actually do the wax pattie deal every time between extracting. In thing I have noticed is that once that honey gets to a half inch on the bottom, it won’t drain anymore. Not unless it’s squeezed. So not sure about a fan, but I can try it on my last batch before final cleanup and see.
Fantastic Dawn!! Glad you guys were able to use that tip. I see you all are pulling a lot of honey and the comb honey and your packaging is absolutely beautiful!! Thanks so much for your support!!
Great tip! I'll need to try this. I have 2x 5-gallon buckets filled with cappings and honey. I wasn't sure how I was going to tackle it, and just left them to store, but this is great. I always wanted to make wax hamburger patties XD
I too used to do as James Townsend below says. A few days dripping then the wax goes into a solar wax melter of my own design and bingo nice CLEAN wax blocks. Thanks again for another interesting idea though.
I had a homemade solar elter, but haven't used it in a few years as I just have too many cappings. This year I'll have at least 4 five gallon buckets and three totes full. So it's too much and would take a lot of runs, and it's too much to try to let the bees sift through on a cleanup for them, so I get what I can and then melt the rest in a couple runs. But I do like how the solar melter does as far as cleaning the wax. Always so pretty when it come out. Thanks for the comment!!
That's a great trick. I have been putting all my cappings in 5 gallon paint strainer bags and hanging them from the ceiling down in buckets for many days. It's crazy how much honey drips out.
Yea, I think a lot of folks, small scale like me I'm talking about, lose more honey than they think by not being patient. The larger scale folks have the separators, but for me, it's not economical for now. SO I try to be patient and let them drain.
This is not a wise crack. What about how they are getting in? My shed siding is rotten at the bottom. Therefore I don't keep anything tasty out there. It's a big project. The shed really should be elevated a foot or more as flood waters have gotten into it a few times in last 5 years.
@@JamesCrouchX i render my wax outside so it's pretty easy for critters to find. Caught the raccoon last night so hopefully it'll solve my problem for awhile.
@@BlanchardsBees Oooh.I don't have enough property far enough to not get a lot of attention from the bee hives. Live up next to an overgrown alley. Many critters have worn a path through the yard. I'd be trapping for weeks. What to do with what is caught?
@@JamesCrouchX I take them out into the country and release them next to a water source. My younger years I would have cashed in on the fur but I'm not into fur harvesting anymore.
Great idea. I always sell all my spring honey and keep the fall honey for the bees and me to eat. I’ll try your trick so I can have more to eat of the spring stuff. Thanks for the video. Take care and God bless.
Yes Garry, you can get yourself a bottle or two from it hopefully. I left this tote for another couple days and had even more in it. I'd venture to say about a pint when all was said and done.
It could be, but I think the amount would be negligible. I did them in my uncapping basket another time and they still had some honey left toward the bottom. One day I’d love to be able to justify the expense of a wax separator.
Hi Mike Enjoyed your latest videos. I was going to harvest this month but the wife and I caught Covid and are just now getting back to normal. Today found robbing on one of my top producing hives, three full supers robbed out. Seems there was no queen or brood but did beat the SHB so save comb in brood and supers. I will be busy pulling supers this week. The heat down here is ridiculous Temps in the 90's with triple digit feel like Temps and no rain, LA weather lol. Glad you have done well. God's blessings waiting for your next video.🐝😎
Glad you guys are back up and at 'em. It's amazing how fast they can rob even just one super. At least you saved the equipment. Always a plus when we can do that.
I could do that, but I’d rather get everything done in this step, I’ve have done that in the past, but I don’t care for letting the wax capping out in the weather while waiting for the bees.
Hi Mike, I did this a few days ago not even knowing if it would work or anything. I haven't checked it since but will soon. Some of my capping felt wet so I made patties like you and noticed there was still honey in it when I was squeezing it together.
@@MikeBarryBees I didn't check it yet lol - I'll be lucky if its 2 to 8oz. It was only 5 medium supers. I got about 2 to 2-1/2 gallons out of my homemade uncapping tank prior to making wax cakes lol
@@MikeBarryBees I looked in my home made uncapping tank today Mike and have at least 12oz maybe 16oz :) - the patties are mostly dry, there was a little bit of honey inside but not much. I broke them up to separate them to melt down. no I have to figure out how to melt 10lbs of wax cappings at once lol - I may try a turkey fryer. I just have to be careful of the open flame :)
I just stack them under a shelter outside. Air and light can get through, so since it’s clear comb, it does fine. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ImO6etsTM3o.html
