Pulling Frames of Capped Honey for Extraction | S3 E13

Today I'm heading into my hives to check on pollen and honey stores and to make sure my queens are behaving! 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 I'm also going to pull frames of capped honey for extraction. Yay!! 🍯 And finally, I need to do a quick mite check to make sure the hives are buzzing & healthy. 😁

Welcome to my third year of keeping bees, where I plan to learn even more about raising pollinators and maybe even get a little honey in the process.

Be sure to check out my other channel, Emmymade in Japan!

Latest bee vlogs:

If you're reading this, you are one of a rare breed. Comment: "Me -- a spelunker?!!" 🤔 below! :)

[donbeissel]

You should do mite checks from the brood area, not the supers. This is because you will get an artificially low count.

The mites favor young bees. You want to check the nurse bees, not the foragers.

You also missed a mite check step. After the bees die you should add alcohol up to the line and then shake, per the manufacturers instructions.

[SuperLimeTime]

When my parents had bees they did the mite checks by putting a cup of bees in a jar with powdered sugar and giving it a good shake. The mites would fall off and the bees would sit around and clean the sugar off each other. I don't know how accurate it was, but it was neat!

[Seraphblade]

I'm a 23 year old with a 2 year old daughter in the middle of Britain who has no business with bees whatsoever but I am SO INVESTED in your bees 😂
I've genuinely learnt so so so much from binge watching of your vlogs and I'm honestly so happy to be Learning about something so important, you're doing so so well and you must be so busy with everything you do :')
Keep being great! ✌️ 💕

[SeraphimaLune]

Emmy, every video: I don't need gloves.
Emmy, every video, 5 minutes later: I need gloves.


Lol, sorry, Emmy, but so true.

[KNPrince]

Emmy would you ever consider bottling your "ladies" liquid gold and letting those of us fans that would like to buy some honey do so.. I bet it would be a nice little side business for you...? and I would definitely buy a jar or two for sure..

[RockieC]

It’s refreshing to see you treat your chickens with love and respect.

[lanabmakeup]

So glad Australia doesn’t have varroa. Our quarantine people are doing a great job at keeping it out!

[stgermain]

I've always done mite checks on brood frames, since nurse bees are more likely to have mites than the foragers.

[nessarolla]

I dont like bees very much but your videos have turned that around for me. Learning about them helped me to be more mindful about them. I've watched eveey episode without fail! I was actually very sad about the mite wash but it has to be done.
Also I love your chickens!

[mollyvandever]

Me--a spelunker?!! 🤔 Suggestion: you already have the honey, so why not show us how to make mead or honey cakes? Of course, I know you may have already thought of these. Just got excited by all that honey. 😳

[bunnyIoy]

It’s just the sound of bird and bees that make me feel at peace thank you

[YallAintRight]

Oh man! I’ve never seen her do this before. It scared me when she got stung!

[moyashisoba]

I always wanted to keep bees myself but I could never check for mites. I couldn't kill them, I think I would cry every single time :-O

[garywindom]

Your supposed to check the nurse bees that’s how you get a accurate mite count.

[Tc]

I have found that early in the season Varroa is not really a problem. It's not til August that you will start seeing. That would be a better time to employ the Drone Frame.

[marachime]

it's such a shame you have to kill a cup of them to check for mites! i couldn't do it. you're stronger than me, Emmy! thank you for sharing so much of what you get up to <3

[nobodyyouknow]

You have Buff Orpingtons, which means you know the joys of pulling a whirlwind of feathers and beaks off of nests.

[yellowflower]

I really want to start beekeeping. I am going back and watching your first bee vlogs and they are really helpful. I’m planning on getting bees next spring. 😄

[jessicacrespin]

I would love to see you exstract the honey that be pretty cool

[tk-zhdd]

Those bee larva are a seasonal delicacy in rural Vietnam! Sauté in a wok yum yum ☺️