How much (weight) honey in an Ideal super?

[Richard M]

So the time is near for our first extraction and I'm trying to figure how many jars we'll need.

Does anyone have any idea of ballpark/average amount of honey from an Ideal? We're on 8 frame boxes.

Thanks.

Richard M.

[amun-ra]

Im in townsville and i have had one deep frame weigh in at about 4.5 kgs so take out the frame weight and you need about 7-8 500g jars loose a bit in extraction lick ya fingys while ya dooin it maybee 6 jars how long is a piece of string ??? if you have a dozen jars will probly do ya

[Richard M]

Yeah, I'm using Ideals though.

[Geoffk]

Hi Richard,
I use full deep frames and average about 2.2 kg of extracted honey per frame that is about 90-95% capped. In other words 10 frames will put 22kg of honey in the jars. According to Wikipedia, an ideal frame is about 55% the size of a deep frame so you could expect about 1.2 kg of extracted honey per frame.
Honey has a density of 1.6 so 1.6kg of honey will require a 1 litre jar or put another way, you will need a jar of 750ml (1.2/1.6) for each frame you extract.
Hope that makes sense.
Regards
Geoffk

[Geoffk]

Oops. After talking to a friend I realise that the density of honey is about 1.4 so you will require about 850ml (1.2/1.4) in jar volume per ideal frame that you extract. This does depend on how 'long' each cell is. I run 9 frames in a 10 frame super so the bees build the comb a little wider and this helps with uncapping but also increases the amount of honey per frame. If you run 8 frames in an 8 frame box, you may not average 1.2 kg per frame - but it will be ballpark correct.
Cheers
Geoffk

[Richard M]

Thanks Geoff,

Not sure if anyone can answer this - I run 8-frame hives; they're pretty much all that's available here in Tas and it seems like it's what everyone else uses here. Any idea why this is?

I'm setting up some new hives of my own soon and am seriously thinking of getting 10-frame Nuplas bodies etc as 8 and 10 frame bodies are the same price, so in effect the 10s are cheaper. Any reason why 10s shouldn't be just as good down here? Do the bees know they're in Tasmania and therefore refuse to work in 10s?   

[prestonpaul]

I think It's more related to weight, an 8 frame super full of honey is heavy and unwieldy. I suspect a 10 frame would be even more so. It's easier to start with 8 frame gear now than change from 10 to 8 later when you find you can't lift a full 10 frame super any more 

[kalium]

Thanks Geoff,

Not sure if anyone can answer this - I run 8-frame hives; they're pretty much all that's available here in Tas and it seems like it's what everyone else uses here. Any idea why this is ?

I'm setting up some new hives of my own soon and am seriously thinking of getting 10-frame Nuplas bodies etc as 8 and 10 frame bodies are the same price, so in effect the 10s are cheaper. Any reason why 10s shouldn't be just as good down here? Do the bees know they're in Tasmania and therefore refuse to work in 10s?   

Simon talks about Tasmania and 8 frame ideals here http://www.beemaster.com/forum/index.php?topic=44761.msg385754#msg385754

[rawfind]

I think It's more related to weight, an 8 frame super full of honey is heavy and unwieldy. I suspect a 10 frame would be even more so. It's easier to start with 8 frame gear now than change from 10 to 8 later when you find you can't lift a full 10 frame super any more 

Agree with Paul,   an 8 frame box full of honey weighs a lot, i tend to try and get my ute close by with a box on the ute and transfer each frame i want to the box on the ute, or i only lift a box of 4 frames up on the ute, you have to think about your back , 10 frames is even heavier, but you need to decide what you are going to use before you go too far into it as you dont want 10 and 8 frame boxes that you cant mix and match.

[iddee]

If an ideal is 16.8 cm, or 6 5/8 inch, each frame will yield approx. 1.3 to 1.6 kg. 3 to 3.5 US pound.