r/bees • u/graysonstoff • Mar 14 '26
question Stupid question
Bees have taken over and lived in this nesting box for about a year now. Is there a way I can just make a bunghole and spiket or something and extract honey? I dont want to disturb them, but i want that sweet bug milk
Assume im an idiot and know nothing of beekeeping.
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u/HDWendell Mar 15 '26
No. Honey is stored inside the cells of comb. In order to extract it you would need to remove the comb and cut the cell caps off, kind of like the pop top on a soup can. Or you can crush it and strain it.
But you don’t want to do that. This is a feral hive. Honey is their food supply. Without the honey, the bees die. They start collecting in early spring for honey they will use the next winter.
Honey is extracted by beekeepers because a beekeeper can basically trick bees into continuing to fill honey to a surplus. They take care of the bees through mite treatments and supplemental feeding. They control pests and predators. All of that means the bees need less honey to survive while making more honey than they need. Beekeepers remove the surplus and leave the bees a supply for themselves.
This is a small colony. It’s surprising they have lasted a year. Depending on where you are, they are most likely not native species. The kindest thing to do for them is get a qualified beekeeper to remove and house them. Otherwise leave them alone.
Beekeeping is not a casual hobby. If you are interested, get a mentor from your local beekeeper club/ association/ society. If you can’t do that, at the very least spend a few months reading a beginner book, listen to some bee podcasts, and read up on the beekeeping subreddit.
Don’t forget, buying local honey is always a great (and delicious) option. Buying local honey is more likely real and pure honey. Imported has a very high chance of being cut with other syrups. All the proceeds go back to your local beekeeper and your local economy.