> Dave Green writes:
> >   Unless you are really trying to shed some surplus money (you could send
> > some this way), an extractor is a poor purchase, until you get up over a
> > hundred hives, and I'm not so sure even then.
>
> I don't have anywhere near 100 hives and can easily hire an extractor
> from my beekeeping association but I still wouldn't be without my extractor.
> It's small, old and cost me 40 pounds ($60).  Since it's second hand it's
> not really depreciating now so I could probably sell it for more or less
> what I paid for it.  It's worth 40 pounds to be able to extract when it's
> convenient to me (and of course I usually want to extract when everyone
> else does.)
 
I would have to agree with the second statement here.  I do not have
100 hives yet (although I hope to in about two years) but it is
extremely inconvenient not to be able to extract whenever I need to.
My brother and I work our hives together, and we prefer to make
extraction a two person process.  As we both have lives apart from
our bees, it is difficult to co-ordinate so that we have a weekend
free at the same time, often we don't know if the weekend is going to
be free until a day or two before, so we can suddenly have a free
weekend, and not be adble to get hold of an extractor.  I would
suggest that a four frame extractor is ideal for any more than about
25 hives, and can easily be sold when you get more hives, to someone
else with only a few.
 
Adrian Dent.