Figuring out if a honey super is ready to harvest is easier than you might think.
You’re simply looking for capped honey.
Bees cap their honey for long-term storage. It’s the best way for them to keep the frames from picking up pollutants like dirt, dust, and debris from within the hive.
Once every frame is capped on each side you’ll know that the honey super is ready to pull.
Some beekeepers will even take a frame if it’s around 2/3rds of the way capped. The logic here is that the nectar is likely dried to the right moisture content, the bees just haven’t capped it yet.
It takes a lot of energy to create beeswax caps, so taking the honey at this stage can save your bees some time.
“Once every frame is capped on each side you’ll know that the honey super is ready to pull.”
