At 02:54 PM 24/06/97 -0400, you wrote:
>In a message dated 97-06-24 14:50:04 EDT, you write:
>
><<
> If I am going to be using my 4 frame extractor on and off over the next 3
> months during this year's season, is it necessary to wash out an extractor
> after each session of extracting?
>  >>
>I guess it depends upon what you want a quality product or garbage.
>
>However I am small time also and I rinse the extractor with hot water and use
>the rinse water to also wash most of the honey from my cappings and this gets
>fed back to one of my hives (usually a hived swarm) who then draw me out some
>beautifull new comb.
>
This is a pretty strong response to a good question.  What is left in the
extractor? - honey.  If you do not allow the honey to attract 'bugs' then it
is just fine to leave it in.  I know beekeepers who do not wash any of their
extracting equipment after the season, claiming that it is now protected
from rusting.  I don't think there is anything wrong with this, but it does
look ugly.
 
The only problem with leaving the extractor unwashed is that the honey
coating will then be crystallized making it more difficult to remove later.
It will be much easier to rinse off liquid honey.
 
Eric
 
Eric Abell
Gibbons, Alberta Canada T0A 1N0
Ph/fax (403) 998 3143
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