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Honey Extraction: We are happy to provide honey extraction services for our fellow beekeepers. This service is ideal if you're just getting started and don't want to invest hundreds of dollars in an extractor that you will have to store throughout the year. As Dolly says “we save a lot of marriages” since you do not have to worry about getting your house all sticky. Just bring your medium or deep frames and food grade buckets and let us do the work for you. We usually have less than a week turnaround time for extraction.
We have a fully furnished honey kitchen with state of the art equipment. Our kitchen is cleaned and re-set daily for each new extraction service. We will first run your frames through our Dakota Gunness chain uncapper. Our uncapper is finely adjusted to just open the wax cells without removing much wax at all. Once your frames are uncapped, they are placed in one of our Dadant 20 frame motorized extractors which will spin the honey out of your frames. We run the extractor for at least an hour, or until no more honey flings out.
Once completed, we tilt the extractor up, and let it set overnight--this allows all of your honey to drain to the bottom of the tank. The next day, we open the honey gate and allow your honey to pour through two strainers into your 5 gallon, food grade bucket. The strainer will remove bee parts and wax pieces, while still letting the essential pollen pieces pass through with your honey. We will not apply any heat during the extraction process. Honey extractions may take up to two days or more to complete...so we do not guarantee a finish time and we cannot rush this process for you.
2024 HONEY EXTRACTION INFORMATION -- Lovingly known as the "MANIFESTO"...Please read the following guidelines thoroughly to ensure a smooth intake process:
HONEY KITCHEN WILL BE ACCEPTING APPOINTMENTS June 18—Oct 31, 2024
Drop off days will be Tuesdays AND Thursdays during 10:30 AM TO 12 PM and Saturdays from 10:30AM- 12:00PM BY APPOINTMENT ONLY!!! NO EXCEPTIONS.
Due to the high demand of extraction services, and limited capacity of the honey kitchen, if you miss your appointment or are 30 + minutes late to your scheduled appointment, you will have to reschedule for another available day. We typically book out every day for the entire season, so please make every effort to be on time. Thank you for understanding.
Please call to make an appointment to drop off: 719-375-5094. Extractions are BY APPOINTMENT ONLY DURING SEASON. NO EXCEPTIONS.
****THERE IS A TEN FRAME MINIMUM FOR EXTRACTION SERVICES****
· $60 for up to 20 medium frames. $ 1.50 per frame after that.
· $70 for up to 20 deep frames. $ 2.50 per frame after that.
· $5 charge per bucket/lid if we have to clean it before extraction.
· $10 charge to remove residual live honeybees from tubs AND/OR cut out brood cells from frames.
· $25 additional charge PER 10 frames to reserve your wax cappings: you must provide a separate bucket with lid.
· $75 additional charge for escorted extraction with a staff member.
How to prep your frames for extraction: Lovingly known as the "Manifesto"
1. Please make sure honey is CAPPED on both sides of frame. We can extract uncapped frames, but it may ferment your honey--although this is rare in Colorado. All customers must sign a waiver acknowledging the possibility of fermentation.
2. Please remove ALL the bees from your frames. There is a $10 charge to remove live bees in tubs.
3. FRAMES: We can not extract frames with capped or open brood, mold, wax moths, live bees, frozen, grass, dirt, rocks or crystalized honey. Please check all of your frames carefully. To check for crystalized honey puncture a capped honey cell and rub between your fingers or taste it. If you feel table sugar granules, the honey has crystallized and it will not come out of the frame. Crystalized frames are a great resource to give to your bees. IF YOU HAVE FROZEN YOUR FRAMES...PLEASE UN-THAW THEM BEFORE BRINGING THEM IN OR WE WILL REFUSE YOUR EXTRACTION.
4. We do not extract frames that have wire and wax foundation as they tend to blow out in the extractor. We only extract frames with plastic foundation or solid plastic frames. NO EXCEPTIONS.
5. Label ALL of your totes and buckets and lids with your last name.
6. Super and Deep frames should be brought in a large heavy duty plastic tote WITH A LID THAT FITS. JUST THE FRAMES ONLY. ALL TUBS MUST HAVE A FITTING LID SO THAT THE HONEY FRAMES ARE CONTAINED. TUBS/LIDS MUST NOT BE DAMAGED OR CRACKED. WE ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTING ANY FRAMES IN HIVE BOXES, GARBAGE BAGS, ICE CHESTS OR COOLERS. THIS IS NON-NEGOTIABLE. WE WILL REFUSE YOUR EXTRACTION IF YOU BRING YOUR FRAMES IN OPEN TUBS, CRACKED TUBS, OR WITHOUT LIDS THAT FIT AND SEAL ON THE TUB. This is for health and cleanliness reasons. NO EXCEPTIONS.
TUBS MUST NOT EXCEED: 32" X 21" X 16" in size. TUBS MUST NOT EXCEED 50 LBS EACH. THIS IS FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR STAFF.
7. We extract into ROUND food-grade 5-gallon buckets ONLY. You may provide your own 5-gallon food grade bottling bucket or you may purchase one from us. Buckets must be no taller than 14.5”. NO EXCEPTIONS.
8. We do a rough strain through two-tiered small and medium gauge strainers to remove wax pieces. Let us know if you don't want it strained. There will be small wax particles in the honey after extraction without straining it--so we recommend straining it. We do not guarantee clarity, color, or taste. WE DO NOT STRAIN THROUGH CHEESECLOTH. NO EXCEPTIONS.
9. We do not jar your honey. We recommend you purchase a bucket with a honey gate for easier jarring. If you are bringing in bottling buckets or food grade buckets, please make sure to inspect them for cracks or leaks around the honey gate and top. Make sure that the lids fit. If we see that you brought in a damaged bucket/lid...we will replace it with a new one that you must pay for upon pickup.
10. Once your honey leaves the store, we are no longer responsible for it, so transport it carefully.
11. Extraction services are pre-paid at the time of drop off. Additional fees may be due upon pickup for cleaning, bee/brood removal, or extra equipment if required during your extraction. Please inspect your frames carefully before you drop them off to us.
12. You are responsible to pay all fees incurred for your extraction before we will release your extraction to you. You may be charged for cleaning fees, live bee/brood removal fees, or extra equipment if it was required. These will be noted on your ticket. Please inspect your frames carefully, clean your equipment, and inspect buckets/honey gates and transportation tubs for cracks/leaks before drop off.
We do NOT heat your honey...so we like to give it overnight to drain down the sides of the tank so you get more of your honey. Please make sure this will fit in your time budget.
We are not responsible for broken/damaged frames, tubs, tub lids, buckets, bucket lids, or honey gates. We do our best to be careful with your equipment and get it back to you in the same shape you delivered it. If we find that your bucket is leaking, we will replace it with a new one that you will pay for when you pick up your extraction.
Depending on the viscosity of the honey, the time to complete an extraction can vary. We do not guarantee a finish time.
Typically, we will provide a refractometer reading of your extraction and your bucket weight (minus 3 pounds) as a courtesy. Optimal is between 15% and 18%. Above 18% could ferment.
Rocky Mountain Bee Supply reserves the right to refuse an extraction for any reason as stated above. A staff member will determine if the frames will be a viable extraction.
If your extraction requires extra food grade or bottling buckets than what you brought, or they needed to be replaced because they were leaking/cracked, we will provide a new one for you that you will pay for when you pick up your extraction.
Thanks for choosing Rocky Mountain Bee Supply!