Fume Board
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Harvest with ease using a Fume Board
Efficiently remove the bees from honey supers when it is time to harvest. Fume boards are best used in direct sunlight on a warm and clear day. Often used with a liquid bee repellent, this is one way to encourage the bees to evacuate the hive.
Directions:
1. Place the fume board in the sun.
2. Smoke the hive entrance and spray liquid bee repellent onto the cloth side of the fume board. Be sure to spray lightly and evenly over the entire surface of the cloth.
3. Remove the outer and inner cover and direct smoke down between the frames. Place the fume board on the top super. Make sure not to leave any large openings.
4. The bees will usually leave the super between 3-5 minutes, depending on the external temperature.
Make sure not to leave the fume boards on the hive too long or bees will start to exit the hive.
5. Repeat the process for each super you want to harvest.
Note: Nurse bees will stay with brood if it is in the honey super. Make sure to check your honey supers for brood before harvesting to reduce bee loss.
Hint: If you are using a garage or barn for honey harvesting, install a bee escape in one of the windows. This
will allow any bees remaining in the super to exit the building without encouraging new bees to enter.