How to harvest royal jelly from bees

Although beekeepers normally collect honey, they occasionally prefer to collect royal jelly. Because royal jelly is regarded to offer health benefits and has a high market demand and worth. Royal jelly is now a popular commercial product that is offered in many countries across the world. Harvesting royal jelly entails removing the cells, extracting the jelly, and carefully storing it. So, how to harvest royal jelly from bees?

Preparation for Harvesting

You need to have protective gear while working on the beehive. Basic protective wear comprises the beekeeping suit, gloves, and a beekeeper’s veil. You should also wear a headcover. Ensure the veil is properly attached to the jacket leaving no gaps for bees to sneak in. Also, you should wear a ventilated suit if the weather is warmer to guarantee the best comfort under the hot weather.

Removing the Cells from the Beehive

Pull out one of the frames and sweep away the bees. Remove the frame that contains the royal jelly cells and start sweeping away the bees that are clinging to it. Move slowly and gently to avoid stirring up the bees.[3]

It will probably take a few minutes to get all of the bees off because they will cling and some of them may fly back onto the cells.

Extracting the Royal Jelly

This is the final and the most crucial step of royal jelly harvesting. Required tools for the job include a sharp knife, small forceps/tweezers, and a pipette.

The sharp knife is used to cut the narrow edge of the queen cells where the larva and jelly are stored.

Remove the remaining royal jelly from the cells with a small spatula. What is left in each of the cells is the royal jelly. Use a small spatula to scrape the jelly out. For very small amounts, you can also use a pipette to suck the jelly out of 1 cell at a time.

This may take a while depending on how many cells are in the frame.

Storing Royal Jelly

Royal jelly should be stored properly.

• Transfer the royal jelly into dark glass vials.
• Refrigerate the jelly for up to 18 months.
• Freeze jelly for up to 24 months

Conclusion

Royal jelly is an important honey bee product apart from honey, pollen, beeswax, and propolis. Sustainable ways of harvesting royal jelly are highly recommended, just like with the other beekeeping products. Remember the bees work so hard when secreting this special substance. If you needed to find out how to harvest royal jelly then we hope this article has been helpful.