Hello Les and All,

I never heard of a new refractometer sent without calibration fluid.

I use my state fair entry as calibration fluid. When I get the entry back I
mark the moisture content from the judging sheet on the top of the jar. I
keep the jar in the honey house so the temperature is the same as the honey
I am checking.

I have still got a almost full jar of calibration fluid which came with the
atago refractometer. A replacement jar is $75 U.S.. I find my method works
as good as using the calibration fluid. I check my moisture calibration so
often I would use a half bottle a season. Ask around your bee club. I will
bet there is a jar of fair  show honey with the correct moisture printed on
the judging sheet free for the asking. If not take a jar of your honey to a
person with a refractometer  and mark the moisture content on the jar. Use
in place of the calibration fluid.

Many of my friends put wet honey in drums. I never do. I keep checking till
the moisture is right before extracting.  I like to bottle honey in the
middle 17% range. 18.6% looks a little watery on a 90 degree market day.

In preparation for the small hive beetle I am getting my honey processing
area insulated with new type spray in foam next week.  Even with  commercial
dehumidifiers honey supers were taking to long to dry out last year. My
insulator says I should be able to reduce drying time by two thirds with his
product. I hate to spend the money but one lost honey house full of supers
to small hive beetle would pay for the foam. I had regular fiberglass
insulation before. The honey processing area will now become like the inside
of a cooler so pulling the moisture out will be much faster  or so my
insulator says.
I plan to start bringing in less supers and getting those out faster. I have
not found small hive beetle  in my hives yet but others in the area have
found shb in their hives so I figure its a only a matter of time. My friends
think I am wasting my money. Last year I brought in around 250 supers before
extracting. If those supers only held 30 pounds of honey and the honey was
only worth the .60 U.S. the government  says the loan value is we are still
talking 4,500 U.S. worth of honey to get slimed. What about super  wax
damage? Time spent renewing those slimed supers? New foundation?
Why wait to get slimed before changing the way you process honey? I have had
supers sit 3-4 weeks in the honey house before. Had a little wax moth damage
but the small hive beetle is different.

Sincerely,
Bob Harrison