Author Topic: Comb honey next year! (Read 10566 times)

CountryBee · « **on:** August 02, 2010, 10:03:27 pm »

Anyone have plans to make a comb honey super with frames for my honey bees. Thanks. :)

CountryBee · « **Reply #1 on:** August 04, 2010, 06:53:29 pm »

Seriously? :'(

hardwood · « **Reply #2 on:** August 04, 2010, 06:58:59 pm »

I just use a foundationless super (usually deeps because I use a 4" cutter). If you want to fool around with Ross rounds you need to buy their system.

Just put whatever size super you want on 'em without foundation or at least without wired foundation and cut whatever you want from it when it's capped.

Scott

CountryBee · « **Reply #3 on:** August 09, 2010, 08:32:42 pm »

I can add that on top of my 2 deeps next year without the foundation and it should be fine? Thanks, Country :)

Jim134 · « **Reply #4 on:** August 09, 2010, 08:48:36 pm »

I have done cut comb honey for the last 50 + years I do it again next year LOL

BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

CountryBee · « **Reply #5 on:** August 09, 2010, 08:57:36 pm »

How do you do it Jim 134?

alfred · « **Reply #6 on:** August 09, 2010, 09:08:15 pm »

I have been doing foundationless. Or at least some foundationless. So some of it gets cut. I just use a knife.

Michael Bush · « **Reply #7 on:** August 10, 2010, 05:22:06 am »

>Anyone have plans to make a comb honey super with frames for my honey bees.

I do some comb honey most every year. Usually cut comb. I have no plans to make a comb honey super with frames for YOUR honey bees, however... ;)

CountryBee · « **Reply #8 on:** August 10, 2010, 07:33:09 am »

I'll invent, thank you anyways, Country :)

Jim134 · « **Reply #9 on:** August 10, 2010, 10:59:46 am »

Quote from: CountryBee on August 09, 2010, 08:57:36 pm

How do you do it Jim 134?

I do not do it the BEES do :-D :-D

Two good books on comb honey are

How to raise beautiful comb honey by Richard Tayloy
Honey in the comb by Eugene E. Killon

BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

VolunteerK9 · « **Reply #10 on:** August 10, 2010, 11:04:14 am »

Quote from: CountryBee on August 09, 2010, 08:32:42 pm

I can add that on top of my 2 deeps next year without the foundation and it should be fine? Thanks, Country :)

Just use a starter strip of some sort or another. Grandma Dog has a video on cut comb on here now that he has taken out of a TBH.

Natalie · « **Reply #11 on:** August 10, 2010, 11:26:11 am »

I have all foundationless frames in my hives so when I harvest the full combs I take the best looking ones and use a cookie cutter type comb punch and cut the squares that you buy from the bee supply companies. I get three out of each medium and then I crush and strain the rest.
You don't have to make it too difficult.

CountryBee · « **Reply #12 on:** August 10, 2010, 06:12:14 pm »

Thanks Natalie! Now I understand Michael "YOUR bees" :lau: I just found an old set of small frames that were my grandfathers that look like they had small 4" wooden boxes in them for comb. Their were 2 small 10 frame supers with the frames but I only found 5 frames and no boxes for them, just slots for something on the frames. I looked thru my dad's ABC XYZ bee book (RI Root) and it looks like the comb honey frame pics. That is why I asked for old plans, to restore the frames to what they use to be. Thank you all for your help. I will probably use the supers and just get some small frames and make them foundationless or comb foundation without wire and cut comb honey from them like you all tell me. Thanks again for all of your help! Country :)

Jim134 · « **Reply #13 on:** August 10, 2010, 07:45:32 pm »

CountryBee.......
:? How tall are the boxes 6 5/8" ,5 3/4" or 4 3/4" :?

I use all mediums 6 5/8" (10 frame boxes)

BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

Michael Bush · « **Reply #14 on:** August 11, 2010, 03:00:35 am »

I took me a while to realize you meant a set of plans. I thought you were asking what I was planning to do... I wasn't planning to build you a super...

Anyway, any medium or shallow super will do for cut comb.

CountryBee · « **Reply #15 on:** August 11, 2010, 07:33:40 am »

Jim 134, I will measure the supers tonight after work, thanks
Michael Bush, I thought it was just a joke on me, you know how your honey bees make honey and comb honey but maybe mine are a totaly different kind of honey bee. :-D
Thank you all for helping, when I get the measurements I will send them. You all know what to do by cutting with a comb cutter instead of wooden boxes but I still want to restore what was there, then make more to just use a cutter like you all. Thanks, Country :)

Jim134 · « **Reply #16 on:** August 11, 2010, 12:23:13 pm »

   I have use Ross Round and Section Boxes have not use Bee-O-Pac if you like see or buy a system look in Walter T. Kelley Co 2010 catalog on pg 36-38. All of the systems use 4 3/4" supers sum of the older one may be 4 11/16" supers.


Walter T. Kelley Co 2010 catalog on pg 41-43

http://kelleybees.com/Files/Organization3/Catalog/catalog.pdf

   BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

CountryBee · « **Reply #17 on:** August 11, 2010, 06:58:00 pm »

Jim 134, one is 4 3/4" and the other two are 4 14/16" with metal bands on bottoms under the two sides that have the ledges for frames on them. Maybe this helps? Thanks, Country :)

Jim134 · « **Reply #18 on:** August 11, 2010, 08:33:22 pm »

You'r supers are for Section Boxes There you to be two size of Section Boxes you only can get 4 3/4" today. Look at pic Walter T. Kelley Co 2010 catalog on pg 36


   http://kelleybees.com/Files/Organization3/Catalog/catalog.pdf

   Can you see the 2 flat tins (shown inside the super) on the bottom of the Box Comb Honey Super

http://kelleybees.com/Files/Organization3/Downloads/Complete%20Basswood%20Directions.pdf
http://kelleybees.com/Files/Organization3/Downloads/Basswood%202.pdf


BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

AllenF · « **Reply #19 on:** August 11, 2010, 09:08:17 pm »

Spring before last, I made up a bunch of frames with new wax for comb honey. They went on the hives late and the wife wanted me to wait to cut them because she had a few jars of comb that were hard to sell from the year before. Nobody asked for comb last year to we extracted those frames. This year, I had several people ask me for comb honey, but I did not have new wax in any of the frames. Go figure.

AllenF · « **Reply #20 on:** August 11, 2010, 09:15:00 pm »

Oh ya, I'm loosing my mind. Last year I did make one box of Bee O Pac System comb honey. I still have 3 of the little packs to show people what comb looks like. It was hard to get the bees to make comb honey. I was afraid to force them or crowd them into the box. They are cool to look at, just did not sell.

Jim134 · « **Reply #21 on:** August 12, 2010, 12:40:23 am »

I use this for Cut Comb Honey Mann Lake 2010 catalog pg.24

http://www.mannlakeltd.com/infopage.asp?idPage=24

I use all 6 5/8" 10 frame supers the big comb cutter as on pg 45 cat no.HD-177

CountryBee · « **Reply #22 on:** August 12, 2010, 07:29:20 am »

Thanks Jim and everyone! You are all big helps. The Mann Lake catalog looks just like it! Now let me count my honey bee change jar up and order some! Thank you all so much for the help! Country :) :)

Jim134 · « **Reply #23 on:** August 12, 2010, 08:01:48 am »

Quote from: Jim 134 on August 12, 2010, 12:40:23 am

I use this for Cut Comb Honey Mann Lake 2010 catalog pg.24

http://www.mannlakeltd.com/infopage.asp?idPage=24

I use all 6 5/8" 10 frame supers the big comb cutter as on pg 45 cat no.HD-177

For Trays for comb honey and cutters you can go to Kelley

Walter T. Kelley Co 2010 catalog on pg 99

http://kelleybees.com/Files/Organization3/Catalog/catalog.pdf

6 5/8" medium supers cutter cat 219-C tray cat 216
5 3/4" shallow supers cutter cat 210-RVS tray cat 216-RV Tray

I use ALL 6 5/8" mediums for brood and honey supers I use 3 for brood in MA.

BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

CountryBee · « **Reply #24 on:** August 13, 2010, 06:25:29 pm »

Thank you all for the help! Country :)

glenn c hile · « **Reply #25 on:** August 14, 2010, 04:29:04 pm »

I just cut up the foundationless frames for chunk or cut comb. I put a couple in each super between ones with foundation to help keep them straight. Queens decided they liked the foundationless comb and moved up into several and raised a few children which messed it up for comb.

I hadn't had much interest until this year. A gentleman stopped by my house yesterday looking for some so I pulled out one of my nicer foundationless frames and he took the whole thing cut into big chunks. After some thought though I think I let him have it too cheap ($4 per pound) but he did take over 10 pounds worth and he provided his own containers plus bought a couple of quarts. What are people getting for comb honey?

Natalie · « **Reply #26 on:** August 22, 2010, 06:08:31 pm »

The boxes that hold the 4x4 squares of comb honey are selling for between $10.00-$12.00 around here and the next state over ( I checked out some honey stands when I was in New Hampshire), those way less than a pound, though I am not sure exactly how much.

Jim134 · « **Reply #27 on:** August 22, 2010, 06:39:14 pm »

I get $12.00 for a 4"X4'' squares of cut comb honey you can 4 cuts from 1 frame I use all medium frames. hopes this help you.

BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

CountryBee · « **Reply #28 on:** August 22, 2010, 08:53:43 pm »

Wow! That is a lot of money! Thank you all, Country :)

super dave · « **Reply #29 on:** August 22, 2010, 10:16:25 pm »

how about this one--if i can get it to load--maybe not--i just have to wait and see

http://img838.imageshack.us/i/catano2.pdf/

super dave · « **Reply #30 on:** August 22, 2010, 10:18:29 pm »

cool :mrgreen: it worked--ill be trying these next year--i can send plans if any one wants them
later

Bellavista2 · « **Reply #31 on:** September 07, 2010, 01:43:16 am »

Hey superdave that looks like fun to try, Have you got a source for the jars yet?

Apis_M_Rescue · « **Reply #32 on:** September 07, 2010, 02:24:26 am »

Super Dave, do you have a direct link to that PDF? How have sales gone w/ that type of comb honey? Looks like innovative way to pre package & market but inevitably might have to scrape off wax on some bottles.

Cheers, David S

super dave · « **Reply #33 on:** September 07, 2010, 08:29:26 am »

i think next spring im going to give this a try ---i'll build the parts this winter and get the jars from big lots discount store--
Apis_M_Rescue i can send you an email of the pdf if you want it --send an email to my secondary email account and lable it as "pdf for bees"
and if any one else wnats it you can do the same
email
claybiking@yahoo.com

hardwood · « **Reply #34 on:** September 07, 2010, 02:11:33 pm »

I tried something like that last year. They filled the jars just great but there was a lot of foreign stuff in there too...bee legs and hive beetles etc.

Scott

super dave · « **Reply #35 on:** September 07, 2010, 02:21:19 pm »

hmm thats not good -- i might have to re think the whole thing--what if you put the wax at the bottom of the jar-which would end up being the top while in the hive ,things like that might fall out,do you think?

hardwood · « **Reply #36 on:** September 07, 2010, 03:21:58 pm »

I really couldn't say. What I did was just to experiment. I drilled 4 holes in an inner cover type board and fitted quart canning jars in them. I set it on a hive in an empty box and then the lid. It was during the goldenrod flow and they filled the jars in about two weeks.

Scott

super dave · « **Reply #37 on:** September 07, 2010, 03:24:16 pm »

i'll experiment and get back to you in a year--haha
thanks for the info

CountryBee · « **Reply #38 on:** September 07, 2010, 06:26:52 pm »

I thought you had to freeze the comb honey overnight to kill the wax moths, glass breaks, right?

AllenF · « **Reply #39 on:** September 07, 2010, 07:43:07 pm »

I froze a mason jar with bees in it once, and it did not break, but with honey in it? Don't forget about killing beetle eggs also with the moths.

CountryBee · « **Reply #40 on:** September 08, 2010, 07:29:08 am »

I didn't mean to shoot it down but I remember being told to freeze the comb honey overnight to kill the wax moth eggs or else it would be inedible. That is why they use wood and then plastic frames. Sorry. The glass is a great idea though! Maybe if a space is left near top it will still work?