Hi there

Some message from Switzerland ...

Not having all capped seems not a problem to me. As Jim already
pointed out, if about 1/3 of the comb is capped, the honey in
the whole comb should be good and ripe to harvest. I never had
problems with that and also learned it this way during my course
for beekeepers.

There is a quite simple test, whether the honey is ripe. Just take
the comb and holding it horizontal, shake it against the floor with
a quick shake. You should do this over some place where you can
see whether liquid is shaken out of the comb. If you see no drops
falling out, the honey is ok, if the honey is not ripe enough and
has too much moisture, you will see drops falling out. Using this
method, you do not need any refractometers or other instruments when
checking your honey.

By the way ... the combs at the side of the supper usually hold most
moisture, so if they are ok, then the whole supper will most probably
be ok.

regards,
dieter schuerer

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