Uncapping Tools

Uncapping tools are the hand tools and machines that cut, lift or pierce the thin wax covers (cappings) sealing the comb cells before honey is extracted: the uncapping knife, heated and electric knives, the uncapping fork, the needle roller and automatic uncapping machines. An extractor cannot get honey out of a cell that has not been uncapped. This page compares the tools, explains which suits which scale, and covers safe use.

What is uncapping and why is it necessary?

When bees have turned nectar into honey and evaporated enough of its water, they seal the mouth of the cell with a thin wax cover. This cover is called the capping. The capping protects the honey from moisture and air; but it also stops the honey leaving the cell in a centrifugal extractor. So before extraction the cappings are removed from both sides. A good uncapping tool:

• Removes the cappings without cutting deep into the cell walls,
• Opens as many of the cells as possible,
• Does not heat or scorch the honey,
• Suits the beekeeper's pace and number of hives.

Types of uncapping knife

Plain and serrated cold knives

These are long, thin stainless steel knives, sharp on both edges. A serrated edge cuts the cappings like a saw; a plain edge leaves a cleaner surface. If the knife is kept in warm water and wiped before use, it glides through the wax more easily. It is cheap and easy to maintain.

Heated and electric knives

Electric knives have a heater in the blade; they pass through the cappings by melting rather than cutting them. They work quickly and cleanly. There are also steam-heated types. Temperature is critical here: an overheated knife scorches the honey and spoils its colour and aroma. Choose a model with a thermostat or temperature control, and do not let the knife rest on the comb.

Using a knife

1. Rest the frame on the pin of the uncapping tray and hold it slightly tilted so the cappings fall into the tray.
2. Rest the knife on the side bars of the frame and slide it just beneath the cappings with a sawing motion.
3. Cut away from yourself, not towards yourself.
4. Wipe the knife often; a knife clogged with wax tears the comb.

Uncapping fork and needle roller

An uncapping fork (uncapping scratcher) consists of fine stainless steel needles set in a handle. The needles are pushed under the cappings and lifted. It is indispensable for sunken cells the knife cannot reach, for edges and for irregular combs. A beekeeper with few hives can do the whole harvest with a fork; on a large scale, however, it is slow. Details are on the “Uncapping fork” page.

A needle roller is a spiked cylinder; rolled over the comb surface, it pierces the cappings. It is fast, but the cappings stay on the cells and end up in the honey as fragments during extraction. This increases the load on the strainer.

Needle loosener for heather honey

Some honeys, such as heather (Calluna vulgaris) honey, have a jelly-like consistency (thixotropic); they become runny when stirred and thicken again when left to stand. These honeys are hard to extract with normal uncapping and centrifuging. For them, after uncapping, the frame is passed through a needle loosener; the needles stir the honey in the cells and make it runny. The alternative is a comb press.

Automatic uncapping machines

In operations with hundreds of hives, frames are fed into the machine along a rail. The machine opens both sides at once with vibrating or heated blades, rotating chains or needles; the cappings are carried by an auger or pump to a cappings spinner or cappings melter. These machines are adjusted to the frame size and need evenly drawn comb of uniform thickness. In a small operation the investment does not pay off.

Materials, hygiene and safety

• Material: Knife blades and fork needles that touch honey must be stainless steel; handles should be food-grade plastic or well-finished wood.
• Sharpness: Knives are kept sharp; a blunt knife needs more pressure and increases the risk of accidents.
• Electricity: An electric knife is plugged into an earthed socket, its cable is kept away from honey and water, and it is put in its holder when not in use.
• Cleaning: Wash in warm water after each use and dry. Wax left between the fork needles is removed with a brush.
• Cappings wax: The cut cappings are collected separately. Cappings wax melted down after the honey has drained is the cleanest wax in the apiary.