Every beekeeper wants to know how much honey the season will bring. The answer depends on the colony, the weather and the forage, but once the supers are capped, a simple count of frames gives a good estimate. This calculator turns supers into pounds, jars and value.
Honey per frame
How much a frame holds depends on its depth and how well it is drawn and capped:
| Frame | Typical honey when full |
|---|---|
| Shallow (5⅜ in) | about 2 to 3 lb |
| Medium (6⅝ in) | about 3 to 4 lb |
| Deep (9⅝ in) | about 5 to 7 lb |
A 10-frame medium super therefore yields about 30 to 40 lb when fully capped. Frames that are only partly capped hold less, and uncapped honey may be too wet to keep.
The calculation
honey = hives × supers per hive × frames per super × honey per frame
Four hives with two medium supers each, at 3.5 lb per frame: 4 × 2 × 10 × 3.5 = 280 lb. In 1 lb jars, that is 280 jars.
Cappings wax, cut off before extraction, comes to roughly 1 to 2% of the honey weight, about 4 lb here. Rendered and filtered, it makes candles, salves and foundation.
Leave enough for the bees
Only harvest surplus. A colony needs its own stores to survive winter: often 60 to 90 lb of honey in cold northern climates and less in mild ones. Never take honey from the brood chambers, and check the weight of the hive before the cold sets in; feed sugar syrup or fondant if it is light.
Is the honey ready?
- Harvest frames that are at least 80 to 90% capped.
- Ripe honey contains less than about 18.6% water; a refractometer gives a quick reading. Wetter honey can ferment.
- Shake a frame over the hive: if nectar sprays out, it is not ready.
Selling honey
Local raw honey often sells for $8 to $15 a pound, depending on the region, the floral source and the packaging. Check your state’s rules: many allow small producers to sell honey under cottage food laws, sometimes with labeling or registration requirements. Labels usually need the product name, net weight, your name and address.
A first-year note
A new colony often produces little or no surplus in its first season, as it builds comb and stores. Expect a real harvest from the second year.