Boneyard Tools

Honey Harvest Calculator

Estimate how much honey you will pull from a hive. Enter the number of capped frames, choose deep, medium or shallow, and set how full they are to see pounds of honey and how many 1 pound jars it fills.

How to estimate a honey harvest

  1. Count the frames of capped honey you plan to pull.
  2. Choose the frame size: deep, medium or shallow.
  3. Set how full the frames are, as a percent.
  4. Read off the estimated pounds of honey and jars.

Examples

10 full deep frames

10 deep frames, 100% full
70 lb of honey, 70 one-pound jars

8 medium frames at 80%

8 medium frames, 80% full
32 lb of honey, 32 one-pound jars

Frequently asked questions

How much honey is in one frame?

A fully capped deep frame holds roughly 7 pounds of honey, a medium about 5 pounds and a shallow about 3.5 pounds. These are typical figures and the tool scales them by how full your frames are.

Why is the fill percent important?

Frames are rarely capped wall to wall. Setting the fill percent to what you actually see, such as 80 percent, gives a far more realistic harvest estimate than assuming every frame is completely full.

How are jars counted?

The tool counts standard 1 pound jars and rounds down to whole jars, since a partial jar is not a full jar. The exact count depends on your jar size and how much honey clings to the equipment.

Does this include honey left for the bees?

No. It estimates only the frames you choose to harvest. Always leave enough capped stores for the colony, especially heading into fall and winter in colder climates.

Will my real harvest match this exactly?

Not exactly. These are general guidelines. Frame foundation, comb depth, extraction losses and how well frames are capped all change the result, so treat the number as a planning estimate.

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