BBKA Forum

British Beekeepers Association Official Forum 

  • Looking For An Extractor

  • Please state your location & condition of the item for sale. Contact should be made through private messages.
Please state your location & condition of the item for sale. Contact should be made through private messages.
 #7608  by AndrewLD
 04 Jun 2020, 21:38
Japey Edge wrote:
29 Apr 2020, 17:29
I've managed to talk my wife round to the extractor Steve posted. I would love the one Nigel mentioned but I may have to work my way up. It looks like they don't depreciate much so when I finally end up swimming in honey I could sell it and upgrade - hopefully.
"Not really sure why one ever needs to justify the cost of the equipment you buy."

Clearly you feel that you do have to justify the equipment you buy - if only to yourself.

The point is; we are all different with different circumstances and budgets to juggle and whilst I accept Nigel's point about parsimonious beekeepers, I certainly do not accept the idea that it's a good investment to buy the best because it will hold its value for resale as has been mentioned - secondhand get secondhand prices. You buy the best because you want it to last and/or be reliable.
May I suggest that you look at this holistically, how many hives are you likely to have by the end of 5 years from now and what other equipment will you need to support that target - and do you have the space to keep it and the income to support the capital outlay. Extra time extracting may be a chore but isn't the priority to have enough hives and spare boxes etc - you can work round one but not the other.

One thing is for sure - a lot of people are going to lose their jobs in the next few weeks and those who do have work are going to have to pay for the privilege of having to stay at home and twiddle their thumbs. I think most businesses will be holding off capital investment for a while and that might be a good indicator for us hobbyists too.....
 #7610  by Patrick
 04 Jun 2020, 23:19
Japey Edge wrote:I'm not entirely sure where I'm going. Up until a few days ago I wanted to grow my beekeeping into a reasonably sized outfit and generate a steady side income. Now I feel like I can't do anything right...
Jazz, that’s beekeeping for you. Sometimes, just like on a boat at sea, things start going wrong and everything starts to unravel. You just have to hang in there and it will surely turn round.

I certainly went through it a few times - not a laying queen in the whole apiary, no brood on cimb after comb, stroppy bees, neighbour issues, techniques diligently researched and repeated by others which seem to simply not work or just apparently have another unfortunate outcome, stressed beekeeper so stressed beekeepers partner, equipment problems and so it goes on.

Then one day you check out the hive, they seem calmer and there is wall to wall white larvae staring back at you. Peace returns. After two consecutive years of low swarming it was pretty inevitable we were due a swarmy year and you are by no means alone to have struggled (including many old hands) to keep on top of it. But I have probably learnt what works and doesn’t for me better as a consequence. And sometimes left field stuff just happens at the same time - whether flaking paint in your hard won honey or random badger attacks.

As some beekeeper once said “if it was easy, everyone would do it”. Hang in there, it will turn around chap sure as 👍
 #7611  by Japey Edge
 04 Jun 2020, 23:25
Thanks everyone :) I appreciate it. Had me a bit anxious but I think the worst part is over.

:D will put today's update in the other thread.

Again, I really appreciate the advice and positive comments.
 #7627  by AdamD
 05 Jun 2020, 12:49
Patrick wrote:
04 Jun 2020, 23:19
I certainly went through it a few times - not a laying queen in the whole apiary, no brood on comb after comb, stroppy bees, neighbour issues, techniques diligently researched and repeated by others which seem to simply not work or just apparently have another unfortunate outcome, stressed beekeeper so stressed beekeepers partner, equipment problems and so it goes on.
Patrick, you have got it precisely!

Jazz, you have to think of those photos of wall-to-wall comb; the largest queen you've ever seen surrounded by a retinue diligent workers; the technique that actually worked right; are all the best bits. The highlights. Not always real life. Occasionally things work out as the books tell us they will; othertimes we are just scrubbing about in an insect world we hardly understand!

We've all had a swarm that we nearly broke our neck for and carefully housed and were gone the next day; The queen that we were sure was there and now isn't; the nuc we made up where all the bees returned home to leave the perfect queencell cold and alone; the grafts that were destroyed by a rogue scrub virgin queen. And so it goes on.
 #7641  by Murox
 06 Jun 2020, 10:21
Does anyone have or have knowledge of an extractor that can handle up to dadant sized brood frames; probably a tangential.
 #7647  by NigelP
 06 Jun 2020, 15:47
Murox I'm pretty sure if you add screens to the Abelo 20 frame extractors they will take dadant brood frames. I think the 30 frame extractor will extract them radially, but that one won't go through your standard door ;) .
If this is something you are after give them a ring.
 #7649  by Murox
 06 Jun 2020, 16:42
Thanks thats a monster for my needs, I will keep it in mind. There used to be some that were capable under 10 frames.