AgGuide: Honey Harvesting & Extraction

Take a structured approach to honey handling from the hive through to the extraction room with AgGuide: Honey Harvesting & Extraction, available from Hornsby Beekeeping Supplies.

Published by NSW DPI, this guide brings together practical information about removing, transporting, extracting and storing honey. Although parts of the content are particularly relevant to commercial operators, the principles are useful for beekeepers at many levels who want to improve their understanding of safe and organised honey processing.

From the Hive to the Honey Shed

Honey harvesting begins before the extractor is switched on.

The guide examines how honey is removed from the hive and transported to an extracting facility, providing context for the complete process rather than concentrating only on spinning frames.

This can help newer beekeepers understand how decisions made in the apiary affect later handling in the honey room.

Safety is addressed early, reflecting the physical demands and food-handling responsibilities involved in honey extraction.

Planning an Extraction Area

As the number of hives grows, a kitchen bench can quickly become unsuitable for processing a larger harvest.

The book explores extraction premises, including site selection, design and mobile extraction facilities.

This makes it useful for beekeepers planning to move from small-scale extraction towards a more organised honey-processing setup.

Thinking about workflow before buying equipment can save considerable effort later. Frames need to move from supers to uncapping, extraction, draining and storage without unnecessary contamination or repeated handling.

Extraction Equipment & Maintenance

The guide covers the extraction process and the equipment used throughout it.

It also addresses maintenance, an important consideration because extractors, pumps, storage tanks and other honey-contact surfaces need to remain clean and functional.

Understanding equipment before purchasing can help beekeepers choose systems appropriate to their hive numbers and expected harvest volumes.

Honey Storage, HACCP & Quality

Once honey has been extracted, storage and quality management become the next priorities.

The guide discusses honey storage and introduces HACCP principles for the honey industry.

It also covers controlling and maintaining honey quality, helping readers understand that producing a good crop is only part of the job; the honey must continue to be handled appropriately after it leaves the hive.

Supporting material includes checklists, record sheets, information related to the Codex for honey and other reference material useful in a honey-processing environment.

Useful for Hobby & Commercial Beekeepers

A beekeeper with only a handful of colonies may not need a large commercial honey shed, but learning professional processing principles early can make future expansion easier.

For established operators, the guide provides a practical reference that can support reviews of workflow, equipment and quality-management procedures.

Add AgGuide: Honey Harvesting & Extraction to your honey-room reference shelf through Hornsby Beekeeping Supplies. For assistance with books or honey-processing equipment, call 02 9477 5569 or email info@hornsby-beekeeping.com.