I have been reading all the pro and con of the washing of the honey
extractor and have not seen anything
 
about what I do, and now Im concerned.  Im just a small timer, and only
have a two frame extractor, so
 
after I was finished for the week, I just left the lid open and the bees
came and cleaned everything up just
 
fine.  I then only had to rinse things off.  Anyone see a problem with
this.  WALT in S.C.
pondsite@barnwellsc
 
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> From: Eric Abell <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Honey in Extractor
> Date: Friday, June 27, 1997 9:58 AM
>
> 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
> [log in to unmask]