Harvest when frames are at least 80 percent capped, and leave enough behind that the colony can winter without you. In the northern plains that second part is the one that gets people — a good harvest that leaves a colony light in October is not a good harvest.
How do I know honey is ready?
Capping is the bees' own signal that moisture is low enough to store. A frame mostly capped across both faces is ready.
For partly capped frames, do the shake test: hold the frame flat and give it a sharp downward shake. If nectar flies out, it's not ready. If nothing moves, it's close.
A refractometer is the certain answer. Below about 18.6 percent moisture, honey stores without fermenting. Above roughly 20 percent, it will ferment eventually no matter how nice it looks.
Can I harvest uncapped honey?
Sometimes, but check moisture first. Bees will leave honey uncapped in humid weather even when it's dry enough, and they'll cap thin honey in a strong flow. Capping is a good signal, not a guarantee.
If in doubt, leave it. Fermented honey is a bad batch and a bad reputation.
How much do I leave for winter?
This is the northern-specific question. Colonies here need substantially more stores than the same colony would three states south, because the cluster is confined longer and can't forage for months.
Judge by weight rather than frame count — lift the back of the hive. A colony that feels light in September will feel much lighter in February. If you're unsure, take less. You can always harvest in spring from a colony that came through heavy; you cannot un-starve one in March.
When should the harvest be done by?
Supers off in late summer, before mite treatment. That order matters — most treatments can't be used with supers on, and treatment timing is set by the bees' calendar, not yours.
Pulling supers late pushes treatment late, and late treatment is how colonies that looked fine in September die in February.
What about a fall flow?
Some years there's a real late flow here, and a colony can put on significant weight in September. That honey is usually best left on the hive. It's winter feed, arriving at exactly the right time, already in the right place.
Questions about any of this? Call or text us at (701) 809-0153. We're always happy to help, even if you didn't get your bees from us.