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074 501 5331
Walk-In Store Now Open OR Order Online.
Agriculture & Farming 7
Bee Feeding 14
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Beehive Components 38
Beekeeping Courses 4
Beekeeping Tools 42
Clothing & Accessories 73
Honey 9
Honey Extraction 50
Pest Control 29
Protective Clothing 20
Queen Rearing 39
Electric Heated Wax Melter 10LR3,200.00
New Products On Sale!

Delivery To Your Door.

All Articles
Beehives
Beekeeping
Beekeeping Equipment
Bees
Honey
How To Label Your Honey in South Africa
Bee Feed Recipes for Beekeepers
Cape Town Meadery Ushers in a New Era of Sustainability and Storytelling in the World of Mead, Gin and Beer

Contact Number
074 501 5331

Shop Hours
Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays,
8:00 AM — 1:00 PM

Email
info@bhive.co.za

Shop Address
Corner of Reier & Jackal Road, Roodeplaat,
Pretoria, Gauteng, SA

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Uncapping Tools

uncapping-tools-bhive-beekeeping-supplies-south-africa

Beekeepers Uncapping Tools

When it’s time to harvest your honey you need to uncap each cell in the honeycomb to let that delicious golden sweetness flow out. There are a variety of uncapping tools available on the market and we’re excited to offer you some of the best honey harvesting tools as part of our product range.

Why Use Uncapping Tools

Save Time

In the past, honeycomb was crushed to extract honey. This is an incredibly messy and time consuming method of extracting. Today we simply uncap frames by removing the wax seal over each cell with an uncapping tool and spin out the honey with an extractor using centrifugal force.

Produce More Honey

It takes quite a while for bees to build wax comb, and they consume a large amount of the honey to create the wax comb. Once the comb has been built, bees can fill it with honey relatively quickly, and they can re-use the comb for many years.

electric-uncapping-plane-bhive-1

The Heated Uncapping Plane

The ultimate heated uncapping tool, makes uncapping honeycomb a breeze.

The blade of this tool is heated to allow you to slice through beeswax smoothly and easily – even in large batches.

You’ll also leave less wax behind and prevent large amounts of it from remaining in your honeycomb.

Unlike the uncapping knives, the plane has an adjustable blade. This allows you to change how deep your cut goes.

How To Clean Your Uncapping Tools

Plastic Uncapping Fork

Rinse and wash with dishwashing liquid or pop it into the dishwasher.

Uncapping Knife

Wipe down with a damp, clean cloth.

Electric Uncapping Knife

Let cool after use and wipe down with a damp, clean cloth.

Uncapping Forks vs Heated Uncapping Knives

Not sure if you should pick an uncapping fork or an electric uncapping knife? Here are a few pros and cons of each to help you decide.

Uncapping Fork

Pro's and Con's

  • Con – More effort to use and can become annoying if you have a lot of frames to uncap.
  • Con – Takes longer to uncap honey.
  • Pro – Great for hobbyists & beginners.
  • Pro – Cheaper to maintain & operate.
  • Pro – Can be used anywhere.

Heated Uncapping Knife

Pro's and Con's

  • Pro – Requires less effort than a fork and gives a cleaner cut making less of a mess.
  • Pro – Quicker turnaround time.
  • Pro – Great for medium to large enterprises.
  • Con – More expensive to purchase.
  • Con – Must uncap close to power sources.

Heated Uncapping Knives

Glide through the work of uncapping honeycomb, literally and figuratively, with a heated uncapping knife.

How To Choose An Uncapping Tool

Depending on how many frames and hives you have and how labor-intensive you like your beekeeping to be, you can choose from the following options:

Uncapping Fork

Honeycomb Scratcher

This is the simplest tool of all and simply requires you to scrape it against the sides of the honeycomb. This will help remove the wax covering each cell so that the honey can flow out.

Uncapping Knife

Cold Uncapping

The design of this instrument allows you to slice through the wax covering on your honeycomb easier than you would using a comb. It also leaves less wax residue behind in the honey.

Electric Knife

Heated Knife

The easiest method for uncapping that provides a seamless way to remove wax from your honeycomb. Best for uncapping honeycomb in colder months or climates.

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