Author Topic: 1st crack @ comb honey (Read 9403 times)

Perry · « **on:** August 22, 2015, 05:50:07 pm »

I have been asked a time or two at the farm market about comb honey but have just never seemed to get around to producing any. Well, a couple months ago I thought I would take the plunge and throw on a couple boxes for a lark. I have a yard that consists of almost nothing but swarms, so I put boxes on 2 of them. One has drawn out some and the other nothing. I had a request from someone in the city for comb honey so I pulled 2 frames and gave it a go. Big thanks goes out to Riverbee and her video on how to do it, it was easy after that.

I made up 2 packages, one with 1 kilo (2.2 lbs) as per customers request, and the second contained over 800 grams (1.75 lbs.) and the remaining 4 pieces (ends) I cut and stuffed into 4 jars, added liquid honey and sold it as chunk honey.
I was floored by the response!
1 kilo comb honey went for $30 (customer ordered).
Second comb honey the first person who spotted it bought for $25.
The 4 jars of 500 gram chunk honey sold for $8 each versus $6 for regular honey
Aside from the liquid honey I added to the 4 jars, these 2 frames of comb honey brought in $87!

I think I'll be looking to put more boxes out next year, I have 12 comb honey supers that I've had sitting around for years.

apisbees · « **Reply #1 on:** August 22, 2015, 08:38:26 pm »

Nice Perry it is a specialty product but people are willing to pay for it. Have any more frames you can pull out or have they only worked the 2 frames? To get the bees to do comb honey well you need to take the strong 2 brood chamber colony and when a good flow is on Knock them down to 1 brood box and stack the comb supers on top a queen excluder. 3 or 4 to start and checking for swarm cells every 7 to 10 days.

brooksbeefarm · « **Reply #2 on:** August 22, 2015, 08:46:03 pm »

Hey buddy,How did that plastic foundation work out for you, for comb honey.

Jack

apisbees · « **Reply #3 on:** August 22, 2015, 08:53:34 pm »

Play nice Jack!

Perry · « **Reply #4 on:** August 22, 2015, 09:23:52 pm »

Now now Jack.

Apis, They have worked more of the frames but not as well as I would have liked. The thin foundation I used was so thin it must have sagged in the frames and not all the frames are nice and straight, probably best to use them for chunk honey. I think after talking to novascotiabeefarmer I will go to starter strips as he seems to have good success that way.
I agree as well that perhaps these colonies (swarms) were probably not strong enough.

brooksbeefarm · « **Reply #5 on:** August 22, 2015, 10:11:10 pm »

I use the thin foundation strips i cut to hang down about an inch,i find that if i melt bees wax (cappings) and pour it on both sides of the wedged strip, it won't get wavy or fall out in hot weather. My bees this year hardly pulled wax, out of 6 comb honey supers only one completed there super, the others either didn't start drawing comb or the ones that did, either ate it or moved it down?? Never seen this much rain in June, July, and Aug.

The girls just didn't have enough forage time between rains,knowing what i know now i would have checker board comb honey frames in with my drawn honey frames. I've had good luck doing that. Jack

tbonekel · « **Reply #6 on:** August 23, 2015, 07:58:47 am »

Quote from: Perry on August 22, 2015, 05:50:07 pm

I think I'll be looking to put more boxes out next year, I have 12 comb honey supers that I've had sitting around for years.

What do you mean by that? They've been sitting around for years, but what makes them different than any other super? Are they the smaller "shallow" boxes?

Perry · « **Reply #7 on:** August 23, 2015, 08:24:10 am »

Yea, they are what I refer to as "shallow", or comb honey supers. They are shorter (5 3/4) than "mediums" which are 6 5/8 inches tall. They are designed that way so that wired foundation wasn't necessary.
The terminology for all the different size "boxes" can be confusing at times. What I consider a medium is often referred to as a deep shallow up here.
I don't even use the word super unless I am referring to a box that is for honey collection. It can be frustrating at times sorting out peoples different interpretations.

apisbees · « **Reply #8 on:** August 23, 2015, 09:12:33 am »

Clamshell Boxes

Our flexible Clamshell Boxes are an economical way to package your comb honey and features a one-piece construction with a hinged lid. 4½" x 4¼" x 1½" (11.43 cm x 10.80 cm x 3.18 cm)

the containers for cut comb are designed for use with shallow frames 4 packs per frame 40 packs per super at $11.00 a pack that's $440.00 per shallow super.
times 12 supers $5280.00

Jen don't go running out to buy comb honey supers, you and I live in areas that trying to get bees to produce it is difficult. you need to be in an area that gets a long strong intense flow to produce it well. And don't forget what the bees are foraging on. During the extraction process the honey gets exposed to air and in doing so looses some of the intensity of the flavors, so what we market must be palatable. Your customers will want a mild light honey that if it does crystallize it will have a fine crystal structure in the comb. Clover and alfalfa are 2 plants that produce excellent comb honey canola on the other hand will leave a poor taste in your customers mouth.

Perry · « **Reply #9 on:** August 23, 2015, 09:28:56 am »

Hey Keith, where did you get that ad or pic from?

riverbee · « **Reply #10 on:** August 23, 2015, 10:09:25 am »

perry, that is AWESOME, AWESOME comb honey! look at how white/pristine the face of that comb is! how many frames did you use in a box? 8 or 9?

foundationless frames are easy with a good strong colony and a good flow, you did great and so did your bees! and as said, comb honey fetches pretty good dollars.

"To get the bees to do comb honey well you need to take the strong 2 brood chamber colony and when a good flow is on Knock them down to 1 brood box and stack the comb supers on top a queen excluder. 3 or 4 to start and checking for swarm cells every 7 to 10 days."

apis, i have never followed this traditional method, and the method i use does produce some great frames of comb honey, but i don't give the bees an entire box of empty frames.

Barbarian · « **Reply #11 on:** August 23, 2015, 11:45:20 am »

Some nice clean comb with uniform capping.

I have used alternating frames with a full sheet of thin foundation and frames with just the top half thin foundation. The bottom of the half sheet was cut in an irregular zig-zag. This set-up helps to avoid irregular comb when just starter strips are used.

My National frames are wedge top with grooved end bars. This may help.

I have stored packed comb honey in a freezer to slow crystallization. The packs were not labelled because my labels suffered in the freezer.

apisbees · « **Reply #12 on:** August 23, 2015, 11:59:41 am »

Mann Lake Bee supply.
A person could use Dadants but you will need to cut off the bottom of the comb to fit the packaging. These pieces could be used in jars of chunk honey.

Perry · « **Reply #13 on:** August 23, 2015, 12:07:37 pm »

Thanks for the compliments. I used 10 frames with thin edible foundation, but it is so hard to keep striaght in the frames if one goes a little haywire the rest are sure to follow. novascotiabeefarmer says that using starter strips about an inch long seems to get them to draw straighter. I have no drawn shallow frames so no guide to give the bees. I suppose I could use mediums but since I have dedicated comb honey supers I may as well use them. Maybe even throw in 4 or 5 shallows into a medium honey super to get them started.

G3farms · « **Reply #14 on:** August 23, 2015, 04:08:47 pm »

I have run shallows ever since I started keeping bees and only bought a bunch of mediums this year.

For comb honey I just put in several frames with thin surplus foundation in between drawn combs in the early spring flow. They are drawn out quick and capped making for some light colored honey and clean cappings, just what you want.

There is not that much of a demand for comb or chunk honey in this area, but do sell several quarts with the comb in it. I would like to try ross rounds one year but afraid I could not sell all of them.

tedh · « **Reply #15 on:** August 24, 2015, 10:19:59 am »

That really does look nice Perry! Josh and I placed a foundationless frame in a medium honey super hoping for some comb honey. They did start pulling and filling that frame. Two weeks ago they had about half the frame pulled and filled and another part of the frame pulled but not filled. Boy we were excited to see that! Last Saturday we checked on it, yeah, queen had laid eggs in that new part of the frame. We still intend to harvest what we can of the comb honey, since it's just for our use, but we sure were disappointed to see the eggs! GOOD JOB! Ted

dmartin18 · « **Reply #16 on:** August 25, 2015, 04:04:38 pm »

I'm the lucky customer who ordered the 1kg comb. It tasted so good that it gave me bee fever. Books are bought and pine boards are in the woodshop. Thanks Perry!

Perry · « **Reply #17 on:** August 25, 2015, 04:36:13 pm »

Hey dmartin18, good to see you checking this place out!

You will never regret getting into the bees, it is an addiction like no other. A whole new world to discover inside a hive.
Look around here, check out the topics and ask questions if you have them, there is a great group of folks on here always willing to help.
The only downside in all of this is I may end up losing a customer for that comb honey cause you'll have your own!

dmartin18 · « **Reply #18 on:** August 25, 2015, 04:43:46 pm »

Don't worry I already gave you as a reference to a friend. Expect an email soon.

riverbee · « **Reply #19 on:** August 25, 2015, 05:53:01 pm »

..............

first WELCOME TO THE FORUM dmartin!

hmmmm, let me see, what do we give those who convert buyers to keepers?!................