Glossary
A device used to extract honey from honeycomb frames using centrifugal force. Frames of capped honeycomb are placed in a spinning basket inside a drum. As the basket rotates, centrifugal force flings honey out of the comb cells and onto the drum walls, where it flows down to a collection valve at the bottom.
The extraction process begins with uncapping: a heated knife or uncapping fork removes the thin wax cappings that seal each cell of ripe honey. The uncapped frames are then loaded into the extractor's basket, which can be either a tangential design (frames sit flat, requiring flipping) or a radial design (frames stand like spokes, extracting both sides simultaneously).
When the basket spins, the honey is pulled out of the comb by centrifugal force and sprays against the inner wall of the drum. It collects at the bottom and is drained through a gate valve into a settling tank, where air bubbles and fine wax particles rise to the surface over 24 to 48 hours before the honey is bottled.
The centrifugal extractor is one of the most important inventions in beekeeping history because it allows honey to be harvested without destroying the comb. Before extractors were developed (the first was invented by Austrian beekeeper Franz Hruschka in 1865), beekeepers had to crush the entire comb to get the honey, which meant the bees had to rebuild their comb from scratch every harvest.
Preserving drawn comb is enormously valuable: it takes bees approximately 6 to 8 pounds of honey to produce 1 pound of wax. When beekeepers return extracted frames to the hive, the bees can immediately begin refilling them with nectar rather than spending energy rebuilding comb. This significantly increases honey production efficiency.
Most extractors spin at 200 to 400 RPM. Starting slowly and gradually increasing speed is important: spinning too fast too soon can blow out the comb, especially with new or thin wax. Many modern extractors have variable speed controls for this reason.
Manual hand-crank extractors suitable for hobby beekeepers with 1 to 5 hives cost around 150 to 300 dollars for a 2-frame tangential model. Electric models range from 500 to over 3,000 dollars for larger radial extractors used in sideliner and commercial operations.
Yes. The crush-and-strain method involves cutting comb from frames, crushing it, and letting the honey drain through a strainer. This destroys the comb (the bees must rebuild it) but requires no equipment beyond a bucket and strainer. It works well for small-scale beekeepers and top-bar hive users.
Keep Learning
Browse hundreds of terms covering honey, beekeeping, and natural skincare.