Glossary
A simple field test used by beekeepers to verify that honey in a frame is adequately capped and ripe for harvest. The test involves running a fingernail, hive tool, or uncapping fork lightly across the cappings to check that cells are sealed with wax and that the honey underneath is thick and viscous.
To perform the cappings scratch test, select a frame from the honey super and hold it at a slight angle with the capped side facing up. Run your fingernail or the edge of a hive tool lightly across the cappings. Properly capped cells will resist the scratch and feel firm and solid. The cappings should be dry and white to light yellow.
If the honey underneath appears watery, runs freely, or the cappings are wet and easily disrupted, the honey may not be fully ripened. Frames with less than 80 percent of cells capped should generally be left in the hive for the bees to continue drying the honey to proper moisture content.
Most experienced beekeepers follow the 80 percent rule: a frame is ready for harvest when at least 80 percent of the cells on both sides are capped with beeswax. The remaining 20 percent uncapped cells typically contain honey that is very close to ripe, and the average moisture content across the frame is usually acceptable.
For beekeepers who want absolute certainty, a refractometer can verify moisture content directly. A single drop of honey from an uncapped cell placed on the refractometer prism gives an instant moisture reading. Honey below 18.6 percent moisture is considered ripe, regardless of capping status.
Not necessarily. The general guideline is 80 percent capped. A frame with 80 percent or more of cells capped usually has an acceptable average moisture content. However, if you have a refractometer and uncapped cells test above 18.6 percent moisture, leaving the frame for a few more days is prudent.
Honey with moisture content above 18.6 percent is at risk of fermentation. Osmophilic yeasts naturally present in honey can reproduce at higher moisture levels, fermenting sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. This spoils the honey and ruins your harvest.
Begin checking honey supers when the nectar flow slows or ends. During an active flow, bees are still processing nectar. Once forager activity noticeably decreases and frames appear well-built, start checking the cappings scratch test. Most nectar takes 1-2 weeks to be processed from thin nectar to ripe honey.
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